Jorge ‘Gamebred’ Masvidal (35-17 MMA, 12-10 UFC) announced his retirement from mixed martial arts Saturday night in Miami, where he lost to Gilbert Burns via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27) in the UFC 287 co-main event.
“I love everybody here,” said the 38-year-old Masvidal. “This is where I started my career. It’s been a long 20 years, 50-some fights. Sometimes your favorite basketball player don’t have that 3-pointer no more. Your favorite quarterback loses that rifle. I don’t feel the same when I get in here no more. It’s been 20 long years.”
Masvidal leaves the sport after losing four fights in a row, but all of those defeats came against the world’s best in the welterweight division. Masvidal took a title fight vs. then-undefeated Kamaru Usman on just nine days of notice. Not only that, but he had to fly from Miami to Las Vegas (for COVID testing) before departing for ‘Fight Island’ in Abu Dhabi.
Masvidal lost a UD (50-45, 49-46, 50-45) to Usman at UFC 251. He was granted a rematch and a full camp to prepare for Usman at UFC 261 in Jacksonville.
Sixty-two seconds into the second round, Usman became the only man to knock Masvidal out cold and just the fourth fighter to finish ‘Gamebred.’ Next, Masvidal took on his former teammate, Colby ‘Chaos’ Covington, and lost a UD (50-45, 49-46, 50-44) in the UFC 272 headliner.
From March of 2011 to November of 2017, Masvidal posted a 12-7 record in 19 scraps at 155 and 170 pounds. His only losses were by decisions, including four split-decision setbacks vs. Al Iaquinta, Benson Henderson, Lorenz Larkin and Demian Maia.
After taking 16 months off, Masvidal was given a main-event slot opposite Darren Till in London on March 16 of 2019. His career took off that night with a vicious second-round KO win over Till, who got put to sleep by a gorgeous left hook.
While doing an interview after the fight live on Fox Sports 1, Leon Edwards had some things to say to Masvidal as he was walking past him. Masvidal promptly left the interview to approach Edwards and quickly delivered what he later dubbed, “a three piece and a soda,” which was a four-punch combination that left Edwards bleeding.
Masvidal was then matched up against former Bellator and ONE Championship welterweight champion Ben Askren, who entered the bout with an undefeated record in 20 career fights. Masvidal ended the show quickly. In fact, he produced the fastest KO in UFC history with a flying knee that left Askren “stiff as a board.”
After landing the flying knee, Masvidal blasted Askren with two huge punches before the referee intervened. At his post-fight presser, Masvidal was asked if those two punches were necessary. He immediately responded, “They were super necessary.”
Six weeks later in Anaheim in the UFC 241 co-main event, Nate Diaz returned to the Octagon for the first time in almost three years and won a UD over Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis. In his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Diaz said, “So this belt I got. I want to defend it. Jorge Masvidal had a good last fight. Good-ass fight. All respect to the man, but there ain’t no gangsters in this game anymore. There ain’t nobody doing it right but me and him. I know my man’s a gangster, but he ain’t no West-side gangster.”
With that, the “Baddest Mother Fucker Belt” was created – quite literally. Diaz and Masvidal were booked to collide at Madison Square Garden in New York City for the UFC 244 headliner.
Masvidal won by TKO when the doctor wouldn’t let Diaz go out for the fourth round due to a cut above his eye. With that three-fight winning streak in 2019, Masvidal became an international superstar and a multi-millionaire.
Sixteen of his 35 wins came by knockout. Some of his KO victims included UFC Hall of Famer Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone, Jake Ellenberger, Yves Edwards, Joe Lauzon, Till, Diaz and Askren. Masvidal also owns a submission win over Michael Chiesa, in addition to decision victories over James Krause, Daron Cruickshank, Tim Means, K.J. Noons, Pat Healy and Cezar Ferreira.
Four of his 17 career losses came against former UFC champions: Usman (twice), Covington (interim) and Henderson. Four more defeats came against opponents who have fought for UFC gold in Maia, Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson, Iaquinta and Gilbert Melendez.
‘Gamebred’ made a name for himself in his late teens by brawling in Kimbo Slice’s backyard in Miami against older men in fights posted on YouTube. Twenty years later in his hometown, Masvidal cashed out. He leaves the sport with millions in his bank account and with his head held high – and deservingly so.