Jorge Masvidal, a Miami native of Cuban and Peruvian origin, was for a long time one of mixed martial arts' dark horses. He was a technical striker with solid takedown defense who overcame a range of formidable opponents to earn the admiration of his peers and the praise of diehard fans.
Masvidal has put in the time and effort necessary to rise to the top of the mixed martial arts world over the past several years.
via ufc.com
With that, we take a look at some of his career highlights ahead of UFC 287
Masvidal's journey in combat sports began as a streetfighter in Miami. He has been seen competing against several fighters on the street, even defeating Kimbo Slice's protégé Ray.
Although Masvidal wrestled for St. Brendan High School, he was academically ineligible to continue competing. He eventually started taking karate and MMA classes.
'Gamebred' made his MMA debut against Brandon Bledsoe on May 24, 2003, at HOOKnSHOOT: Absolute Fighting Championships 3. He won the fight by knockout.
Masvidal made his UFC debut after fighting in various promotions across the world. He entered the UFC with a 23-7 record. He fought Tim Means in his promotional debut and won the fight by unanimous decision.
Since making his UFC debut, there has been several ups and downs in Masvidal's journey. However, he has now emerged as one of the biggest and highest earning stars in the sport. He holds the record for the fastest UFC KO and also won the symbolic UFC "BMF" Championship belt. He has also ventured into several businesses, including starting his own fight promotion, Gamebred Fighting Championship.
via ufc.com