Without question, last Saturday’s Jake Paul vs. Ben Escarren pay-per-view boxing match generated more buzz than the ESPN-aired UFC Fight Night against which he ran.
The three-time UFC veteran and one-time Olympic freestyle wrestler, notorious for his poor striking skills, did not go well for Oscar, as he faced a first-round TKO against YouTube-personality-boxer Paul.
It should probably be George Masvidal, who is making headlines at Saturday’s UFC 261 pay-per-view event at the Viester Veterans Memorial Arena, as he challenges Kamru Osman for the welterweight title for the second time in nine months. , Is trying his hand in the ring these days. Not only did Masvidil knock Oscar in 2019 with a flying knee (not a legal strike in boxing) in just five seconds, but His famous potential trainers also made famous coaches From that world.
So, at the height of his drawing power with Masvidal (35-14, 18 finishes), and, apparently, not close to retirement, will the 18-year veteran martial artist soon step into the ring? “Of course,” he told the Post on the phone recently, especially “when you think about the paycheck” that the top-draw boxers bring home compared to those in MMA.
“Yes of course Love In the box, “Masvidal said. Am I a boxer of the highest caliber compared to other boxers? hell No. This is what they do for a living. They throw 10,000 jabs a month, a week, a day. I worry about jiu-jitsu. I want to worry about wrestling, strength and conditioning to be able to wrestle. There are many other things. “
Still, Masvidal feels his most natural MMA skill is boxing, which he says came to him “the first day I wore gloves like a fish in the water they let me in the ring.” Unlike many of his MMA peers, who talk about boxing aspirations, he made his boxing debut in 2005, just two months after finally going 6–1 with long-time UFC veteran Joe Lodgeon in MMA. Of.
Masvidil’s passion for boxing shines after the subject arrives, as does his desire to make big money while being an active athlete.
“Obviously, I’d love to go and have a big salary, and there are many people I can compete against that can generate the paycheck I’m looking for.”
The major blocker to such aspirations is the UFC, which has made an exception only to crossover one of its active, contracted stars into the ring when Connor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. generated millions for 2017 as well as MMA can do. .
Masvidal, whose father fled Cuba long before the fighter was born, was “more like the Communist regime of the time” than the UFC because of restrictions placed on his ability to earn a ring in a separate UFC career. He is confident that the day will come, and he wants to fly the MMA flag when he does so.
“I will win one for MMA. I do not think there is any [big] As of now, MMA wins versus boxing. I would love to be the first boy to bring a win to my community, my beautiful game that I have been enjoying ever since [I was] a baby.”
Osman (18–1, nine Finnish) told The Post that he was “killing these people” at 170 pounds. He may have a point, noting that he has defeated the top four welterweight in the UFC’s proprietary contenders rankings: Colby Covington, Gilbert Burns, Leon Edwards and Masvidal. He also placed Damian Mia and Tyron Woodley below the top 10.
Osman left four people not yet encountered in that group of 10: Stephen Thompson, Vicente Luque, Michael Chiasa and Neil Manny. Of that group, Luke looked the most attractive in part, as both are good friends and former training partners, but thanks to a 9–1 run in the last four years, finishing with eight wins. Which includes presenting Woodley’s first round last month.
“Luke is definitely putting himself on that fast track if he performs and defeats these people the way he is killing these people,” Uss said.
Thompson, the only man to defeat Luick in his final 10, almost does not woo Usman. Often known by his nickname, “Wonderboy” challenged two-time ex-winner Woodley to the title, but drew first and then lost a majority decision in a portion of close contests. He was less active since Woodley’s second bout in March 2017, leading 3–2, but with victories over Luc, Masvidil and Geoff Neal, the latter coming in December.
“As far as the Wonderboy fight: At the end of the day, he’s got two chances, with Tyron Woodley to crack the belt, and unfortunately he was unable to [win] This, “said Usman, who claimed the title with a dominant five-round decision win over Woodley in March 2019.” And then I kissed Tyron Woodley. It’s one of the things where I would rise for him Am? That should be enough compensation for me to say that I am asking my mind, body and soul to fight through a training camp, as if I already know how it should go. “
The other two championship bouts at UFC 261 were against flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko against former strawweight titleholder Jessica Andrade, plus 115-pound champion Zhang Weilly, at Rose Namajunas, another former strawweight champion.
Namajunas lost his belt from Andrade in 2019, then Zhang took him three months later. Namajunas earned her latest title fight with a decision win over Andrade last July and now aims to become the first woman to reclaim the straightweight belt after losing two women.
During her first title run, which lasted 18 months from TKO’d Joanna Jedrzejczyk at Madison Square Garden in November 2017, until she stood in front of the slum KO at the hands of the mighty Andrade, she set the world high “to make Aspiration “. Better place. “Looking back, she believes she has no plans to do so.
Now, she has a clear picture of what it means to her, and includes her two passions: martial arts and nature. Shortly before she spoke to The Post on Wednesday, a house made of natural, untested material was used to build an earthquake, a house.
“I decided that I wanted to buy some land and start building Earthship MMA Academy.”
The idea would be to help inner-city children “need an outlet and want to learn a little bit about martial arts and nature.” An impressive visit to Indonesia last year helped build an earthworm sowing seed for their planned new endeavor.
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