Jorge Masvidal lamented his teammate Dustin Poirier‘s loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 291, commenting on his expectation of a win for Poirier and how the unexpected knockout surprised him, while also suggesting the possibility of coming out of retirement to challenge Gaethje for the BMF title in future.
In November of 2019, Jorge Masvidal triumphed over Nate Diaz at UFC 244, winning the BMF title. This accolade found its home in American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida. Masvidal was confident that his teammate Dustin Poirier would keep the belt at home when Poirier was slated to face Justin Gaethje at the main event of UFC 291 in July. However, events didn’t take the expected turn when a powerful kick from Gaethje sent Poirier to the canvas in the second round. In a disappointing turn of events for Poirier’s supporters, Masvidal found himself wrapping the belt around Gaethje instead of Poirier.
Masvidal had a heartfelt conversation about the event ahead of Friday’s Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA competition. He had a long-standing training relationship with Poirier, and losing the title was a blow to the team. However, Masvidal acknowledged that this sort of situation is part and parcel of the fighting world. Despite the outcome, Masvidal was still confident in Poirier’s prowess as a fighter, and he commended Gaethje and Poirier for their concerted efforts in the ring, stating their embodiment of the BMF title through their consistent pursuit of finishes in fights.
Before the fight, Gaethje had mentioned the prospect of Masvidal, who was Poirier’s teammate, wrapping the title around his waist as a badge of honor. Gaethje’s hope came to fruition, which he took great pleasure in. However, Masvidal divulged that he was fully in support of Poirier, whom he considered not only a good fighter but also a good person outside the ring. He described Poirier as a great teammate, friend, husband, and father. Despite Masvidal’s retirement from the sport four months after the match following his loss to Gilbert Burns at UFC 287, he expressed an interest in potentially competing against Gaethje for the BMF title a few years down the line.