View this post on InstagramA post shared by Jorge Masvidal (@gamebredfighter) on
Out of character, Masvidal decided to address both Edwards and Ben Askren in his own Instagram post. Additionally, he asked fans to tag the fighters in replies because “[Instagram] won’t let me put fake on my page.”
In the video, Masvidal doesn’t say Askren’s name but is clearly addressing the welterweight’s win over Robbie Lawler at UFC 235. He says, “[Lawler] didn’t tap, and you didn’t put him to sleep.” This is followed by him asking, “Who do you think you’re fooling?” The welterweight accuses Askren of running away from Masvidal when he tried to talk.
Masvidal was tagged in Askren’s Twitter feed the day before and was accused of being scared. According to Askren, the hotel interaction that Masvidal mentions in his video response never happened. The welterweight contender said it was a “bold face lie” and that there are “many witnesses to confirm.”
Masvidal may not like all this back and forth on social media but it’s quickly becoming a staple of how fights are marketed. It’s safe to say that neither man is afraid of fighting each other and we’re just waiting on contracts to be signed at this point.
More on Masvidal-Askren, now that I’m off air: Both fighters have agreed to the fight + date. But, UFC has yet to give green light (they originally wanted June 8) and actually book it for that July 6 card. Masvidal agreeing to Askren was a first step, now they have to book it.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) March 29, 2019
Edward Carbajal serves as the lead MMA analyst for Frontproof Media and holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a brown belt in Ishin Ryu Karate. He has covered combat sports since 2014 and has been a fan of MMA since the first UFC. You can follow Edward on Twitter @Carbazel or at his website TheBlogBoardJungle.com.