Jorge Masvidal says he nearly landed on the upcoming MVP Netflix card, but the UFC stepped in and blocked the move because it has its own plan for him.
Masvidal made the claim on his Death Row MMA podcast and said the offer was very real, not just back-channel chatter.
“I got offered to fight on this card, I had a very good, nice offer from Netflix,” he said on his Death Row MMA podcast. “But UFC had other plans for me. They said ‘No, we’re going to use you’ and I’ll break the news on this podcast who they want me to fight and when and where.”
He also said he had the first offer before Nate Diaz got that spot, which adds fuel to the recent noise around Diaz payday.
“I was talking to [MVP co-founder] Nakisa [Bidarian], I get along very well with Nakisa and got nothing but love for him for even thinking of me and calling me up. It just didn’t work out. I had the first offer before they gave it to Nate [Diaz], it was me and I desperately wanted to take the fight.”
Watch a recent Death Row MMA clip below:
UFC’s ‘good, good plan’ now has to deliver
Masvidal says he accepted the pivot because UFC gave him a return roadmap he likes.
“But the UFC has a good, good plan for me,” Masvidal added. “And they told me the plan. I like it and we’re going to see it through now.”
That puts pressure on timing. Fans will buy the tease for a while, but this sport moves fast and patience gets starched quicker than a bad jab.
Jorge Masvidal was originally booked to face Shara “Bullet” Magomedov in a grappling match at Hype FC Brazil in Rio, but he withdrew before the event for undisclosed reasons. The card was then reshuffled, with Magomedov moved to a new matchup against Edson Barboza. After the pullout, Magomedov publicly called out Masvidal in a social media video, saying, “Jorge, amigo! Brazil is not Miami! Russia is not Miami! Don’t play with the pirate!” That timeline supports the idea that Masvidal’s schedule and negotiations were in flux before Nate Diaz was announced for the MVP slot.
For added context on Masvidal’s recent UFC stance, see Jones pay. For crossover context, see Dana on Diaz.
