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Marc RaimondiESPN
Jorge Masvidal is interested in a UFC welterweight title shot next. That is no surprise. But the rising 170-pound star made another intriguing callout Thursday on The Dan Le Batard Show: Conor McGregor.
Masvidal, just five days removed from a UFC record five-second knockout of Ben Askren at UFC 239, told Le Batard that he wants UFC champion Kamaru Usman or McGregor in his next bout.
“I want McGregor, man,” Masvidal said. “I want to break his face. I think that’s an easy paycheck. He’s got these cash symbols written all over his face for me. I just don’t see it going his way at all, if I’m honest with you.”
Masvidal said he doesn’t necessarily have a preference between Usman or McGregor, the UFC’s biggest star who has not fought since falling to Khabib Nurmagomedov last October. McGregor, though, is the one that will line his pockets more, Masvidal said.
“It’d just be more money, more fans,” Masvidal said. “And then fight for the title. Or the title. Either one of them makes sense to me.
“I think either or equal out to big, big checks. So I’m happy with either or. I think Conor is a bigger check, so I wouldn’t mind Conor. I want to put money away in the bank. Like I said, I’ve been doing this a while.”
Masvidal, 34, said the difference between him and McGregor is that McGregor has shown a willingness to back down.
“He taps,” Masvidal said. “I have never tapped in my whole entire career. He’s tapped a couple of times. That’s backing down right there in my book. So, that’s something that I’ve never done and I feel like I’d break him. It’d be an easy fight.”
Masvidal said he’s not worried about McGregor’s trash talk, which would lead to the Irishman getting “extra punished.”
McGregor is a former two-division UFC champion at lightweight and featherweight. Masvidal currently fights at welterweight, but has spent most of his career at lightweight. McGregor, who does not have a fight currently scheduled, fought Nate Diaz twice at welterweight.
“I’m the hot ticket,” Masvidal said. “Nobody has moved the needle like this in a long time in MMA. With me breaking the record and whose face I did it on, those things go into consideration. I think strike while the iron is hot. We’ve both got a hot name. Let’s do it, let’s just compete. If not, let me just fight the champion already.”