It is impossible to ignore the reality that Jorge Masvidal was a terrible UFC fighter. After announcing his retirement at UFC 287, tributes came flooding in for a guy who never beat a top fighter during his career. Has anyone ever watched him in the octagon? Calling him mediocre would be an overstatement.
Seriously, Masvidal is the most overhyped dude in MMA this side of CM Punk. Watching him get dominated by Gilbert Burns was simply further proof that the Miami-born fighter was nothing more than a big mouth. A guy unable to deliver when it mattered most.
Of course, his fans will point to the knockout of Ben Askren and claim there is no way Jorge Masvidal could have been a terrible UFC fighter. That, of course, ignores the fact no one will ever understand what the hell Askren was doing in that moment or his awful, three-match career after coming over from ONE.
Meanwhile, Masvidal’s win over Nate Diaz was so meaningless that Dana White created a belt just to generate buzz. And even then, Diaz was clearly going through the motions in the build-up to that fight.
Here’s a stat for you. Masvidal is 3-6 since beating Donald Cerrone in 2017. That was a nice win, but Cowboy was at the start of what would be a long decline. And given how many losses Cerrone took in his career, it’s hard to say beating him was some sort of signature victory.
However, Masvidal’s two fights against Kamaru Usman were the most telling. He was entirely outclassed on both occasions. At no point did he even trouble the champion. That was something seen multiple times throughout his career.
Anytime Gamebred came up against a better fighter, he went into a shell. There was plenty of bravado and talk pre-fight. But when it came time to step inside the cage, he simply fought not to lose. That probably explains why he never held a meaningful title and why the only former UFC champion he managed to beat over the years was Michael Chiesa.
At the end of the day, Jorge Masvidal was a terrible UFC fighter who didn’t beat anyone. And no, punching out Colby Covington after losing to him inside the octagon or talking a bunch of trash doesn’t change that fact. But hey, at least he can keep stumping for Florida’s stupid, midget governor now that his MMA career is done.
Keep Reading: Luke Rockhold versus Paulo Costa was a throwback to a time when the UFC was fun
