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Sparking controversy by attacking people for the wrong reasons is nothing new for UFC welterweight Jorge Masvidal. The Gamebred fighter took a shot at ESPN and Brett Okamoto for posting Kamaru Usman's quote from a recent interview on Twitter.
Following his win over Gilbert Burns at UFC 258, UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman wasted no time in picking his next opponent. The Nigerian nightmare called out his former opponent Jorge Masvidal in a post-fight interview with Joe Rogan and went on to share his thoughts on the Miami native as an opponent during a recent interview with Brett Okamoto on ESPN.
ESPN posted a quote from this interview on their Twitter handle and Jorge Masvidal did not take kindly to the champ and his interviewer. In a reply to ESPN, Gamebred dismissed Usman as a 'guy with personality disorder' and Brett Okamoto as a 'fake MMA reporter'.
Jorge Masvidal's remarks cannot belittle Brett Okamoto's credentials as an MMA reporter
An analyst, interviewer and reporter with ESPN since 2010, Brett Okamoto is a highly respected figure in MMA media and one of the most established sources of UFC news. Okamoto's credentials as an MMA reporter are beyond any benefit of the doubt, and he is well known for sharing unbiased accounts of developments in the UFC and MMA community.
Brett Okamoto's commitment to unbiased sports journalism is evident from his reply to Jorge Masvidal's tweet. Despite being wrongfully accused by Masvidal of fake MMA reporting, Okamoto showed a keen interest in interviewing the fighter to understand his thoughts without unnecessarily trying to get even.
'I'd love to interview you Jorge, and get your full thoughts on the above tweet and everything else going on in your career and life. Let me know, thank you,' reads Brett Okamoto's tweet
Verbal assaults on reporters are not rare in the MMA community. While talking to the media about the Gina Carano controversy, UFC president Dana White took a jab at another one of ESPN's reporters, Ariel Helwani, and called him a 'douche' for criticizing Carano in an Instagram video.
Both Dana White and Jorge Masvidal are vocal supporters of former US President Donald Trump, and Masvidal seems to have taken a page from White's book to align himself with the boss.
A reporter's job is to give voice to those who want to speak. Prominent figures like Dana White and Jorge Masvidal have the necessary resources to put their thoughts out for everyone to know. Attacking reporters verbally in an arrogant and unacceptable manner is the last thing that is expected. ESPN has stood up for their associates and Jorge Masvidal can expect the same for his attack on Brett Okamoto.
