Jorge Masvidal would 'break' Jake Paul or Nate Diaz in a boxing match: 'I'd hurt them dudes'

27/11/2023 16:00

Jorge Masvidal thinks he would destroy Jake Paul or Nate Diaz if they ever met in a ring.

In April, Jorge Masvidal retired from MMA following his unanimous decision loss to Gilbert Burns at UFC 287. Since then, Masvidal has spent his time growing his fight promotion, Gamebred Fighting, but the two-time UFC title challenger admits that the allure of combat still calls to him.

"I do miss it but at the same time like, man, I don't know," Masvidal said on The MMA Hour. "MMA stuff, because I did that for 20 years. You know what I would like to give a try that would really razzle my blood? Some good old-fashioned boxing. Just because I've only got one of those, I wouldn't mind doing some boxing. Just straight hands, f****** throwing the heaters at somebody's face, f****** however many rounds. That gets me excited. That gets my f****** blood pumping."

In recent years, many high-profile MMA fighters have made the move to boxing, most notably with Diaz leaving the UFC to box Jake Paul earlier this summer. Masvidal himself was in attendance that evening, and he left unimpressed with the two fighters' performances.

"I went there live," Masvidal added. "I get it, the skill set, they're not going to be boxers, they're not going to be moving like boxers because they're not boxers by craft, either of them, but the mean guy will to hurt each other could have been meaner. That's why that fight, being there live, I was like, man, I'm f****** mean for real. And a lot of the guys in boxing are f****** mean for real. I didn't have that feeling when I left there that night. It didn't feel like they were trying to kill each other or hurt each other, or apply the sweet science to full mastery.

"I'd hurt them dudes. Bad. I was there live. I saw it. It's a different speed. Nate's seen it. You can ask him. You can ask him about the speed. And if Jake was having trouble [with Nate], you know what I'd do to Jake?"

Though he is retired from MMA, Masivdal is still currently under contract with the UFC and thus would require its permission to pursue any boxing interests he has. As such, Masvidal says such fights are unlikely to happen, but he's unequivocal about the outcome if they did.

"I wouldn't get in there with Jake," Masvidal said. "The UFC, I've talked to them about matches like that. I'm still signed to the UFC and I have to get permission from the UFC. But in a hypothetical world, if we were in a boxing sparring session, I'd break that dude. I'd break him. He couldn't handle my pace, my speed, or my power. He can ask his sparring partner for 10 rounds, Nate Diaz, about me. And Nate? I'll eat him alive. Pow! Done. But I can't because I'm signed to the UFC, so it's not going to happen. But if it did, pff."

Masvidal famously fought Diaz in the UFC, winning the ceremonial "BMF" championship in the final win of his MMA career. "Gamebred" also had a brief feud with Paul a few years ago, with the two even talking about boxing one another, but ultimately that never happened and the two men squashed their beef. Masvidal says that still holds true, but that facts are facts.

"I'm cool with him, but that has nothing to do with competition," Masvidal said. "I'm cool. If I saw him right now I'd be like, 'What's up, Jake?' But we're talking about us in a boxing ring, what I've done my whole f****** life, you've got no f****** chance, and I've got an opinion and I can say it because it's America, and you shouldn't get your butt-f****** hurt feelings over it. We're still boys, we're still cool. What's up? But you want to fight? Motherf*****, I'll kill you. You're crazy, bro. F****** nuts. I went and scouted you out already that day."

While still under contract with the UFC though, none of this is possible. The promotion has occasionally released fighters from contracts, allowing them to pursue other combat sports interests, but it remains to be seen if they would afford that same courtesy to Masvidal. If they do though? Masvidal seems like he would jump at the chance.

"I love fighting," Masvidal said. "I love fighting. I love it. ... I just love the sport of combat. It's something I understand so well. And to compete? I'd be open with the UFC's permission. If they said, 'Yeah, why don't you get some boxing in because you always had the hands. Let's go,' and they gave me permission? Yeah, I'd go break somebody's face."