Jorge Masvidal has criticized Khamzat Chimaev for missing weight and accused him of not being a pure fighter, while also suggesting that Chimaev may not be in the fight game for much longer.
The UFC’s welterweight division is facing a logjam of contenders. While former title challenger Colby Covington is expected to get the next title shot against champion Leon Edwards, former champion Kamaru Usman is still at the top of the rankings despite losing twice to Edwards. Covington, the No. 2 ranked contender, hasn’t fought since March 2022.
Khamzat Chimaev, ranked third, missed weight for his last fight and caused a shakeup of the entire UFC 279 main card. Belal Muhammad, ranked fourth, is on an eight-fight winning streak. When there is a logjam of contenders, it’s possible to leapfrog many or all of them with the right storyline and memorable performance. This is where Jorge Masvidal’s No. 11 ranking comes in.
If Masvidal defeats No. 5 ranked Gilbert Burns in the UFC 287 co-main event, he could find himself facing Edwards next. It’s a long shot, but still a possibility. Masvidal does not want to see one of the contenders get a title shot. He does not believe that Chimaev deserves to compete for a world championship after missing weight by 8.5 pounds and has criticized the fighter in recent interviews.
Masvidal referred to Chimaev as “not even fighting. This new style of fighter, it’s like beyond me. You can just go on Instagram and talk a lot of sh*t”. He added that fighters who miss weight are not pure fighters and that they cannot command respect from their opponents. He does not think that Chimaev will be around the fight game for very much longer.
The UFC’s welterweight division has a lot of top contenders, but there is still room for new fighters to emerge with the right storyline and notable performances. Masvidal will have to beat Burns this weekend in a dramatic fashion to earn himself a shot at the title. Whether he will succeed remains to be seen.