Jorge Masvidal: I know I can bang with the best
Jorge Masvidal prides himself on being "gamebred" and always ready to fight. So when the UFC asked if he was interested in changing up his plans and replacing Thiago Alves at this Saturday's event in Seoul, Korea against former world champion Benson Henderson, he said yes right away.
"I had no hesitation," he told FOX Sports this week. "I don't care about opponents, or when or where I fight. All I care about is if I'm in shape. I was in shape already to fight on this card, training hard, so when they said Benson Henderson, former world champion, I was in."
Henderson (22-5) once sat atop the lightweight division, but recently decided to also campaign at welterweight, 15 pounds heavier. Masvidal (29-9) also was a lifelong lightweight who recently decided to move up to 170 pounds.
If Masvidal beats Henderson, it could be a sign that he is capable of beating the very best at 155 pounds. Masvidal told us he won't consider going back down to lightweight if he wins on Saturday.
"I don't need to prove anything to myself because I already know that I can bang with the best at lightweight," he said.
"But, I'm 31 years old, and I had been making the cut to lightweight since I was 18. My body just doesn't respond the same way it used to after a cut. So, why continue to hurt my body by going down to lightweight?"
Helping him make up his mind is the fact that Masvidal feels strong against welterweights. At 5-foot-11, he has a good-sized frame for the division and insists that he feels comfortable at the higher class.
"I feel good. I never felt out-muscled at lightweight," he began. "I don't feel out-muscled at welterweight. For most of my career I've trained with welterweights anyway. I'm a pretty big guy anyway. I walk around pretty heavy, without trying to, at about 185 pounds. So I want to see how far I can get at welterweight."
As the days wind down for Masvidal before his main event, he finds himself, as many fighters do, visualizing a lot. However, the Floridian isn't walking through the fight in his head — he's seeing the sweet, glazed celebration afterward.
"I do visualize a lot, but I don't visualize the fight," he revealed. "I visualize things I'm going to do after the fight. Adventures I'm going to take and food I'm going to eat. I wasn't sure if they were going to have one out here, but I saw that there is one not too far from my hotel so I'm looking forward to it. What I've been visualizing lately is grabbing a couple dozen Krispy Kreme donuts after the fight and enjoying them."
