Jorge Masvidal reveals why the UFC won’t let him fight Jake Paul
Associated PressJorge Masvidal is yet another former MMA star transitioning to the boxing world. He will fight Nate Diaz in June, but ‘Gamebred’ recently revealed why a fight with Logan Paul, not Jake Paul, is more likely.
Once a fierce knockout specialist in the Octagon, Masvidal decided to step away from the promotion in 2023. He and Dana White reportedly agreed to a three-fight deal, allowing Masvidal to fulfill his boxing dreams before returning to the UFC.
His first boxing opponent comes in the form of another former UFC superstar — Stockton, California’s own, Nate Diaz. The two men will compete in a 10-round bout on June 1 in the light heavyweight class.
But ‘Gamebred’ is already thinking about which fights he wants next. Naturally, it didn’t take long for a reporter to name-drop the Paul brothers while discussing future plans with Masvidal.
The 39-year-old got asked about potentially fighting Jake Paul, and the former BMF Champion quickly shot down that idea, explaining why it’s not happening anytime soon.
“Not with Jake Paul, it’s 100% more likely with Logan Paul,” Masvidal said. “The UFC allowed me to do some boxing matches, but Jake has said some not pleasant things about Dana White.
“So, UFC has basically said ‘F*** you! We’re not doing to let you go get money with our biggest draws.’
“So, I could fight Logan Paul but Jake Paul… unless he was to walk around here and say something stupid, I can’t touch him in a ring.”
Masvidal, still under contract with the UFC, says he received special permission from White, so he wants to do right by his boss and not associate with Jake during his boxing run.
Instead, the American called his shot at Tommy Fury, half-brother of Tyson and an undefeated professional boxer in his own right who has dipped his toes in the influencer boxing realm with victories over Jake Paul and KSI.
“Tommy Fury interests me,” Masvidal remarked. “We could go to England and sell out some arenas over there. He’s got some matches, and he has a win over Jake.
“And the UFC would let me fight Tommy. So, I’d definitely go over there and throw down with Tommy at some point.”
Masvidal’s showdown with Diaz represents the first bout of a reported three-fight boxing deal, and if Fury becomes opponent number two, that could leave Logan Paul as the final leg of the journey.
But one thing is certain based on his recent comments: Masvidal will not be sharing a boxing ring with Jake Paul while he’s still under contract with the UFC.
