As Jorge Masvidal prepares for UFC 251, he explained to ESPN how negotiations came about to take this title shot against Kamaru Usman on short notice.
Masvidal had been critical about fighter pay after the negotiations originally stalled for the event in the first place. He told Ariel Helwani that he didn’t get exactly that he wanted but close to his asking price. He was adamant that he didn’t want to be underpaid for fighting.
Masvidal inferred that he is getting PPV upside as part of the deal with the UFC in addition to his guarantee.
During the interview, he stated that he signed a new, multi-fight deal which replaces the one he signed just weeks prior. He also stated that he still wants to fight for the rights of other fighters.
Masvidal said that he was 192 pounds as of July 4th although he has kept himself in shape.
Payout Perspective:
We will see if Masvidal will continue to advocate for other fighters after he has received his money. It does appear that he may have received a bump in pay as well as a portion of the PPV proceeds. The good news is that Masvidal’s highlight KO of Ben Askren and subsequent win over Nate Diaz has solidified his persona and into a PPV star.
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