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Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff Writer
Jorge Masvidal says he will be returning to fighting relatively soon.
The former UFC BMF champion and one of the biggest MMA stars of the last several years told ESPN he will fight in a boxing match “early next year.” No opponent has been decided yet.
“No names right now, but I can tell you it’s early next year and I can tell you somebody is going to get killed,” Masvidal said in an interview Thursday.
Masvidal retired from the UFC in April after falling to Gilbert Burns at UFC 287 in Masvidal’s hometown of Miami. Since then, he has been focused on helping run three combat sports organizations he promotes, most prominently Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA. The next event for that promotion is Nov. 10, a heavyweight title main event between two UFC veterans — Roy Nelson and Alan Belcher.
The UFC still has Masvidal under contract, so it’s unclear what the arrangement would be with regards to him competing in boxing.
Masvidal, 38, took umbrage with the boxing event earlier this month that featured Logan Paul vs. Dillon Danis and KSI vs. Tommy Fury. Masvidal said the show was a “disrespect to boxing.”
“Logan didn’t f—— knock [Danis] dead,” Masvidal said. “I really wanted Logan to knock him dead. So I’m kind of mad at Logan. I hope he sends me my money back, you know? Not that I paid for it, but still.”
If and when he steps in the ring, Masvidal would be the latest former UFC star to cross over to boxing, a list that includes Anderson Silva, Nate Diaz, Jose Aldo and Anthony Pettis. Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou will box Tyson Fury, the lineal heavyweight boxing champ, on Saturday.