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Jorge Masvidal has become a household name in the UFC. While the 'BMF' champion spent most of his career as a relatively unknown fighter on the wrong end of hard-fought split-decision bouts, he experienced a late career resurgence well into his run in the promotion's welterweight division.
A series of wins elevated his profile to such an extent that MMA superstar Nate Diaz publicly challenged him to a fight during his post-fight interview at UFC 241. Unfortunately, 'Gamebred' has found himself on a rough three-fight skid after suffering back-to-back losses to former welterweight kingpin Kamaru Usman.
Perhaps his most stinging loss was a five-round drubbing from best friend-turned-nemesis Colby Covington. With UFC 287 fast-approaching, Jorge Masvidal will face Gilbert Burns. A win over 'Durinho' would be one of his best ones to date. Thus, this list looks at Masvidal's best-ever wins as UFC 287 looms near.
#5. Jorge Masvidal vs. Cezar Ferreira, The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale
The 21st installment of The Ultimate Fighter reality TV series consisted of the Blackzillians and American Top Team competing against each other. At the time, the two gyms were among the most well-known in MMA, with American Top Team remaining one of the sport's most successful teams years later.
The finale featured former lightweight Jorge Masvidal competing in the welterweight division for the first time in five years. He faced Cezar Ferreira in the fourth bout of the evening. The first few minutes of the opening round were competitive as the pair traded shots while Ferreira secured a takedown.
Into the fourth minute of their clash, however, the future Brazilian light heavyweight trapped 'Gamebred' in a clinch but was quickly flattened by an elbow before a series of follow-up punches forced the referee to wave off the fight.
#4. Jorge Masvidal vs. Donald Cerrone, UFC on Fox 23
Back in 2017, Jorge Masvidal sought to extend his two-fight win streak by securing a third consecutive win. The opponent he faced in his quest to do so was Donald Cerrone. After losing to Rafael dos Anjos in a title fight, 'Cowboy' embarked on a four-fight stretch of thrilling finishes, with three KOs and one submission.
He had hoped to make 'Gamebred' his fifth straight win. So when the pair crossed swords at UFC on Fox 23, most observers were under the belief that 'Cowboy' would emerge victorious. Instead, Masvidal earned a fairly dominant victory against the one-time UFC lightweight title challenger.
Towards the end of the first round, the future 'BMF' champion caught one of Cerrone's kicks before countering him with punches en route to dropping him. Masvidal pounced immediately with follow-up punches and Cerrone barely survived past the first round.
Just one minute into the second round, however, the exact same sequence took place. Masvidal caught a kick and dropped 'Cowboy' with punches over the top. While the streaking Cerrone managed to stand up, he covered up against the fence as Masvidal's onslaught of punches forced the referee to end the bout.
#3. Jorge Masvidal vs. Darren Till, UFC Fight Night 147
While Darren Till has undergone an extreme decline, having lost five of his last six bouts before requesting his release from the UFC, he was once regarded as a potential champion. Back in 2019, he was coming off a disheartening loss to Tyron Woodley in his first and thus far only UFC title fight.
To rebound him from such a bitter defeat, 'The Gorilla' was scheduled to face a more beatable opponent in the headline bout of a Fight Night card taking place on home soil in England. Little did anyone know at the time that Jorge Masvidal was anything but beatable. The pair locked horns in front of the English faithful.
After recovering from a knockdown in the first round, 'Gamebred' reemerged in the second round to flatline Till with a slick shifting combination. The Englishman fell to the canvas in an unconscious heap, and the future 'BMF' champion's greatest-ever run had begun.
#2. Jorge Masvidal vs. Nate Diaz, UFC 244
The culmination of Jorge Masvidal's superstardom came in a highly anticipated matchup with MMA cult phenomenon Nate Diaz. During the leadup to the bout, conversations revolved around who was the biggest gangster between the two men. More than anything, however, fans were curious about the 'BMF' title.
The pair headlined UFC 244 with a symbolic 'BMF' title being up for grabs after Stockton's finest convinced UFC president Dana White to make a physical title based on the conceptual title that the 209 legend claimed to have been defending. In his words, he was the 'Baddest Motherf*cker' in the UFC.
Once the pair finally clashed, 'Gamebred' proved to be a step ahead of his opponent. He brutalized him with body kicks and combinations, dropping him twice before the cage-side doctor mercifully declared Diaz unable to continue fighting due to a deep cut he had suffered.
So Jorge Masvidal was crowned the 'BMF' champion, and per his request, he had Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson wrap the title around his waist. It was the biggest win of his career, but not the best.
#1. Jorge Masvidal vs. Ben Askren, UFC 239
Prior to UFC 239, Jorge Masvidal was not a big attraction in the MMA world. While fans were somewhat interested in 'Gamebred' after his impressive knockout win over Darren Till, it wasn't anything they hadn't seen before given his past win against another title challenger, Donald Cerrone.
But after the UFC signed the then undefeated Ben Askren, interest peaked. Back then, 'Funky' was an unbeaten wrestler of Olympic caliber. Furthermore, his title reign in Bellator and ONE made him one of the few fighters that fans desperately wanted to see in the UFC. It finally happened in 2018.
He faced former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler in his promotional debut, beating him via controversial submission. Afterwards, he faced 'Gamebred'. During the leadup to the fight, trash talk was constant. Askren frequently brought up his previous experience sparring with Masvidal and how weak his opponent felt.
He predicted complete domination come fight night. But at UFC 239, it only took Masvidal five seconds to end Askren's night. He KO'd him with a flying knee to score the fastest knockout in UFC history and hand 'Funky' his first-ever defeat in MMA. The win launched Masvidal into the stratosphere of superstardom.
