Jorge Masdival is making a comeback.
The UFC star opted to retire from MMA in April 2023 following a devastating loss to Gilbert Burns at UFC 287. At that point, Masvidal was riding a four-fight losing streak and it was clear that he wasn’t the same guy that rose to stardom in 2019. However, to the surprise of many, the 40-year-old became the latest fighter to take back their retirement in September:
"I definitely did [retire] from sports and all martial arts for about 45 to 60 days," Masvidal told ESPN. "And then it just hit me. I was like, I'm not retired. I can't. I started doing some boxing, and that opportunity fell in my lap, great opportunity, I couldn't pass it up. But even when I was doing boxing, even though I loved it, it just doesn't compare to MMA."
Now Masdival’s date on when he’ll return has become clear. The Florida native recently stated that he’s targeting April for his comeback to the UFC, “I’ll be back April next year in the UFC,” Masvidal said on the Fight Back podcast. “We don’t have the opponent yet. Hopefully by December we’ve got the opponent. April, Miami card.”
Well, it’s December and the fight has yet to be announced. Masdival has strongly hinted that the UFC is on board and one of the offers to fight is against former UFC Welterweight Champion Leon Edwards.
Edwards never got his chance at revenge over the “two piece and a combo” that Masdival served him back in January 2023. But it appears that time has come and gone as Masdival has stated that Leon passed on the offer to fight him.
“Now, we can get it done. You’re not the champion of the world, and I’m f***ing here. He says, I’m ‘easy pickings’, it would be ‘easy work’ for him, then f***ing come get this easy money, because I’m the highest f***ing name on there.
“There’s nobody f***ing with me, in the amount of exposure that I can get him. Me and leon, if he wants this heat, let’s f***ing go.
“UFC offered it to him. He passed on it. He passed on it, man, so whatever.”
So Leon is likely a no go. I’ll be interesting to see who Jorge gets for his return to UFC. Now this is all coming from Masdival, as Dana White has yet to confirm that “Gamebred” will return to his promotion and fight. In fact, White outright stated that Masdival probably wouldn’t be fighting in the UFC again. It’s possible that White has changed his mind since he first answered the question in October. We’ll just have to sit back and see what happens.