Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) understands that a murder inside the Octagon would probably put an end to its upward trajectory, at least in terms of mainstream popularity and let’s face it, that’s where the money is.
That might explain why promotion president, Dana White, has refused to let longtime welterweight veteran, Jorge Masvidal, sign up for a fight against former featherweight and lightweight champion, Conor McGregor.
He’s just too damn small.
“That fight the president deemed it not good because they don’t want like a murder charge on me, so they’re not gonna allow that to happen,” Masvidal, 34, told ESPN. “The president himself already said it, so I don’t want to go to jail for killing nobody. That’s not what I want to do. I’m here to compete and beat people up.”
Like the recently-stiffened Ben Askren.
I don’t follow ESPN and I have no idea what “Get Up” is about, but watching the host pander to a chuckling crowd in the wake of the network’s “insane” deal with UFC felt a little weird. At least “Gamebred” is getting the exposure he deserves.
Masvidal (34-13) is currently making the media rounds ahead of tonight’s UFC 244 pre-fight press conference in New York City, where opponent Nate Diaz will join him on the dais for a battery of questions from the ever-thirsty media.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 244 fight card this weekend RIGHT HERE, starting with the Fight Pass/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPN 2 at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
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