Jorge Masvidal - the UFC’s third-best ranked welterweight in the world - has fired a warning shot at boxing’s current pound-for-pound king, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, and is confident the Mexican superstar would “get his ass kicked”.
Both fighters were victorious this weekend in their respective disciplines with Masvidal triumphing over Nate Diaz at New York’s UFC 244 and ‘Canelo’ stopping Sergey Kovalev to pick up the WBO light-heavyweight world title in Las Vegas.
Masvidal wasted no time in calling out the four-weight world champion after dispatching Diaz in three rounds at Madison Square Gardens.
“If Canelo wants to get his ass kicked that’s a fight I’ll take. I’m here to get the biggest cheques possible,” said Jorge
Many took this as a harmless jab but following an interview on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show, Masvidal reiterated his desire to fight the 29-year-old who holds a professional record of 53-1-2 (36).
“I’m dead serious about fighting Canelo Alvarez. If they give me nice little change, I will take my talents over there. I feel like I can shock the world.
“Canelo is a better boxer and has thrown 10,000 more jabs than me because that’s what he does morning and night, just box. So yeah he is a better boxer. But can I bring some elements that boxers aren’t used to, that are in the legal rounds of boxing and throw Canelo completely off his game? F**k yes!”
I’m a naturally bigger dude and I punch like a f**king truck
"If I got those boxing gloves on I’m not afraid to break my hand so I’ll be able to hit a bit extra harder. I feel like I can be a legitimate ass threat in there,” he added.
Masvidal won’t be the first MMA star to cross into boxing - Conor McGregor famously challenged Floyd Mayweather, boxing’s self-professed “Best Ever” in 2017, although Masvidal will be hoping to be more successful in the ring than 'Notorious’ was.
As for ‘Canelo', he has a bounty of options available within boxing after his latest victory, including a potential 2020 Anfield showdown with Liverpool’s super-middleweight world champion, Callum Smith.
