‘He doesn’t want the fight’: Jorge Masvidal hits out at Conor McGregor for avoiding UFC clash

McGregor is the biggest name in mixed martial arts, while Masvidal has been one of the most popular figures in the sport in recent years

Jorge Masvidal has hit out at Conor McGregor for not agreeing to fight him, criticising the Irishman for failing to make ‘maybe the biggest pay-per-view fight in UFC history’.

McGregor is the biggest name in mixed martial arts, while Masvidal has been one of the most popular figures in the sport in recent years.

Both have struggled to secure wins in recent times, however, with McGregor’s record standing at 1-3 since November 2016, while Masvidal has lost his last three fights.

The demand from fans for the pair to face one another is high in any case, and Masvidal has said McGregor will be to blame if the bout does not come to fruition.

“No, Conor doesn’t want the fight,” Masvidal told MMA Fighting. “If he did, he’d post something, he’d say something.

“He’d probably just insult my mum or some relative of mine or my nation where I come from. He’ll say something like that, but he won’t say anything about a fight or a fight date.

“So, the Conor thing, he just [thinks], ‘I hope it goes away,’ because he really doesn’t want to fight. He doesn’t mention [me] or say anything.

Conor McGregor is recovering from a broken leg (Getty Images)

“Obviously it’s maybe the biggest pay-per-view fight in history as far as the UFC goes. I think we’d shatter all numbers, all previous records, but for some reason this guy doesn’t want to entertain it.

“I’m not going to take him down and hold him down. I’m going to get in his face, I’m going to break his jaw, and that’s not going to look good for his brand – ‘Conor got beat up on the feet, Conor got outstruck.’ It doesn’t sit well with him or his team, but if it did, you’d shortly hear him say something back to this. Because everybody’s going to be sending him this interview, and what is he going to do?”

McGregor is a former dual-weight UFC champion, having held the featherweight and lightweight titles in 2016.

The 33-year-old has also fought at welterweight in the UFC on three occasions, while Masvidal, 37, previously competed at lightweight but now fights at welterweight.

The American has twice challenged for the UFC title at 170lbs, losing to Kamaru Usman via decision in 2020 and then by knockout in 2021.

Masvidal is targeting a return to the Octagon before the end of the year, having last fought in March when he was outpointed by friend-turned-rival Colby Covington.

Meanwhile, McGregor is recovering from a broken leg that he suffered last July in his second loss to Dustin Poirier in six months. The Irishman is expected to be back in the ring by the start of next year.