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If Jorge Masvidal has his way, he will be unable to knock the beard off Michael Chiesa when the two square off in a Lightweight showdown planned for UFC on FOX 8 this weekend (Sat., July 27, 2013), which takes place at KeyArena in Seattle, Washington.
That's because "Gamebred" plans to lobby The Washington State Athletic Commission prior to fight night and compel "Maverick" to invest in a razor.
"I'm going to tell the (athletic) commission (to) wrap that up. I don't want to get no mat herpes or nothing on my face," Masvidal informed The Canadian Press. "I've been in this game a long time, got nothing on my face and I ain't about to catch some syphilis or whatever he's got going on in that beard."
While it seems bizarre, the concept isn't unprecedented.
Remember not too long ago that Gray Maynard demanded that Clay Guida braid his mane prior to their UFC on FX 4 showdown in June 2012. "The Carpenter" complied, ultimately going on to lose a "catch me if you can" decision.
It didn't seem like the hair was a factor, but it certainly threw a wrench into Guida's traditional routine. Curve balls don't appear to be the genesis for Maynard's request or Masvidal's for that matter.
In fact, Masvidal appears to have a genuine concern that he could actually contract some kind of bacteria from Chiesa's facial hair. He continues his rant (via MMAFighting.com):
"I hope the commission tapes it up or something -- it's too big. I don't want that in my eyes or something. It just looks nasty, too, man, I don't know what that beard has in it. I don't even know if he washes that thing … I don't know what's going on there. I come into a fight I don't need ring worm and mat herpes, know what I mean? [The commission] needs to do something because I know the rules are you need to be able to see the chin, so, they need to do something so that thing is not in my face. That's all I'm saying. I'm going to as [the commission] to do something -- I don't want that nastiness in my face…. That looks like a somebody off the street beard you know? I might swallow a hair … I think that's like fouled play. I'm definitely filing a complaint. He don't have to cut it, but he can braid it or something, you know?"
Tape more than likely won't tame that beastly beard; therefore, expect Chiesa to comply with Masvidal's request if the commission deems it legitimate.
Even if mat herpes typically live on mats and syphilis occurs mainly on the external genitals.
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