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It’d be easy to quickly surmise that Jorge Masvidal is a standup fighter. It’d be easy to lump him in with the heaps of boxers who transitioned to MMA. It’d be easy to say he likes to throw hands and not much else, but that would just be part of the story of Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal.
Set to take on Ben Askren on the UFC 239 Pay Per View main card on ESPN+, Masvidal grew up in the rough streets of Miami, fighting in backyard brawls with men far older and far bigger. There were no rules. There were no refs. There were no gloves. It was just Masvidal and his vicious fists knocking dudes out alongside viral internet sensation Kimbo Slice.
That was more than a decade ago, before Masvidal joined up with the coaches at American Top Team, before he fought in the UFC, and before he became a top-five welterweight. And in the years that have since passed, Masvidal has developed a large and loyal fanbase who know that “Gamebred” is coming forward and bringing his knockout show into the Octagon.
This time, however, the stakes are higher than they’ve ever been.
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A 30-fight professional mixed martial arts veteran before he even got the call to fight in the UFC, Masvidal is on the verge of his first UFC title shot. He’s been close before, never quite getting over the hump and into title contention. But unlike his failed 2017 bid against Demain Maia, Masvidal knows that this scrap against Askren on the UFC 239 main card is undoubtedly the biggest fight of his career. He’s willed it to fruition, not only with his hands, but also with his mouth. Well, it was mostly with his hands.
Taking all of 2018 off of competition to participate in Spanish-language reality show Exatlón Estados Unidos, Masvidal made a huge splash in March when he knocked out former number-one contender Darren Till with a stunning knockout in London. A significant underdog heading into that fight, Masvidal got dropped early by the much bigger Till. “Gamebred” found his groove though, and knocked Till unconscious with a picturesque combo in the second round.
Then the real fight took place.
Entertaining questions backstage after the fight, Masvidal got wind that another fighter, Leon Edwards, was talking trash within earshot. Masvidal quickly stepped away from the interview and confronted Edwards, unleashing his now trademarked three-piece and a soda combo, drawing blood with a jab-cross-hook. In the moment, he was truly living up to his “Gamebred” moniker.
The altercation, which was captured live on the post-fight broadcast propelled Masvidal even further up the rankings of public opinion. And, while he called for a title shot, Masvidal got the next best thing, an unofficial title eliminator against UFC’s public enemy number one, Ben Askren.
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Looking at the matchup, it’s fair to say that this is one of those striker-versus-grappler bouts, where Askren’s world-class wrestling will be tested against Masvidal’s boxing. And, that covers much of the pre-fight analysis. But then there’s also Masvidal’s defensive wrestling, which is basically how he’ll keep the fight on the feet while Askren fishes for single legs and takedowns. That defensive wrestling is what will keep Masvidal, and his title hopes, alive at UFC 239.
If the fight goes to the ground, Askren will have to give Masvidal’s submission game some respect. It’s rare that “Gamebred” slaps on the choke, but he’s done it before. Still, Masvidal will try to keep this fight on the feet at all cost.
On the feet is always where Masvidal has thrived. His kicks are good, but his punches are better. And he always comes forward to bring it to his opponents.
Looking back on one of Masvidal’s finest moments inside the Octagon, he once fought Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, the UFC’s all-time winningest fighter, in enemy territory. Needing just six minutes to seal the deal, Masvidal silenced the entire Pepsi Center crowd in Denver, Colorado with a technical and tactical performance. In fact, Masvidal actually knocked “Cowboy” out twice in that fight, and following the bout, with his stock higher than it had ever been, “Gamebred” called his shot, asking for a chance to fight for the belt. Instead he was awarded a number-one contender bout, in which he came up short.
The whole scenario draws many parallels to this era in Masvidal’s career: signature win against a beloved local fighter, followed by a title eliminator against a decorated grappler. This time; however, Masvidal hopes to make the leap he was unable to make two years ago. This time, he’ll be bringing his favorite three piece into the Octagon on the UFC 239 Pay Per View main card. No word yet though if he’ll need the whole bucket.
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