Jorge Masvidal says UFC 287 may be his final walk if he’s not successful.
Masvidal (35-16 MMA, 12-9 UFC) meets Gilbert Burns (21-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC) in Saturday’s co-headliner at Miami-Dade Arena in Miami. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.
Masvidal, 38, will look to snap a three-fight skid against Burns. As much as a loss would deter him, a win could lead to a title shot against welterweight champion Leon Edwards, who is seeking revenge from their backstage altercation at a UFC London event in 2019.
“This could be the last one,” Masvidal said during the UFC 287 “Countdown” episode. “If I lose, I’m pretty much calling it quits. But a win against Gilbert means that things are headed in the right direction. So if I roll the dice and do everything right, I’m going for it all.”
Masvidal is no stranger to must-win situations. After back-to-back losses in 2017, “Gamebred” took some time off and returned to have a remarkable 2019 with finishes of Darren Till, Ben Askren and Nate Diaz, which shot him to superstardom.
“I think I’m at my best right now – my mental (game), my physical – and now I’ve got to go out there and prove it,” Masvidal said. “I’ve got my back up against the wall. I get to start my resurrection here in Miami-Dade County, the city that birthed me, that made me, that molded me, so I’m more than excited. April 8, I give it all I’ve got. I win, we keep rolling that dice until we get that f*cking belt.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 287.
