Ultimate Fighting Championship

Jorge Masvidal out to hurt Donald Cerrone on a personal level

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 1:06 a.m. ET

Fansided, Louise Green/Fansided

Jorge Masvidal has vowed to hurt Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone on a personal level for taking money from his table.

On Saturday, Jorge Masvidal spoke to Matt Serra and Jim Norton on the UFC Unfiltered podcast about his upcoming bout against Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC on FOX 23 in Denver.

Masvidal is coming off a first-round win over Jake Ellenberger in December and called out Cerrone in the octagon after his victory. His dislike for Cerrone started when his scheduled opponent, Kelvin Gastelum, was pulled from their bout in favor of a match with Cerrone at UFC 205 a week later.

“The reason why it’s personal for me and why I want to hurt this dude is because you took away two signed bouts from me,” he told UFC Unfiltered. “Two guys that were ranked opponents, you took them away from me. I signed a bout agreement and my counter partner signed a bout agreement and said they gave the fight to Cowboy which is fucking mind-blowing to me. I’m near to the fight and both sides, the UFC had done the little poster that they do, put them out there. Weeks before the fight materialized they got snatched up and gave it to him so that’s why I really want to hurt him because he took money from my table you know.”

“I want to hurt him on a personal level,” he continued. “Not because that as a person I think he’s this or that, but just for that reason alone.”

“I feel like he’s wronged me and he doesn’t even know it, he probably had nothing to do with it but it doesn’t matter somebody has to pay with interest for what was done.”

Cerrone, on the other hand, seems to already have his sights set beyond Saturday, with hopes of being matched up with the former champion Robbie Lawler or title contender Damian Maia next. But Masvidal said that doesn’t bother him. “He can talk all he wants. When I look into his eyes I see the bitch in him, I see the hoe in him, he can try and sell a fight to whoever he wants and this and that, but he’s not looking past me at all.”

Both fighters have made their way up from lightweight to welterweight. The No. 12-ranked Masvidal is currently on a two-fight win streak after suffering losses to Benson Henderson and Lorenz Larkin. A win over a Cerrone this Saturday will almost certainly secure Masvidal a place in the top 10 in the division. Either way, this bout will be sure to excite.

The fight goes down on the main card of UFC on FOX 23 in Denver, CO this Saturday, live from the Pepsi Center.