After a convincing second-round knockout victory for Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal over Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC Denver, the welterweight division has seen a transformation. It seems “Gamebred” is looking to mount a challenge for the title and after his $200,000 bet to UFC President Dana White there is a rather large target on the back of the Floridian as he ascends up the 170lb ladder.
Cerrone was favourite going to into the fight at the Pepsi Center on Saturday night, but Masvidal proved his worth with an impressive knockout. It appeared to be over at the end of the first round when “Gamebred” landed numerous punches to drop “Cowboy.” Referee Herb Dean intervened but whilst many thought the fight was over, Dean only signalled for the end of the round.
Jorge picked up where he left off in the second and instantly landed blistering knees to the body of Cerrone. The fan favourite looked for a response but 40-seconds into the second round, the kick he threw towards Masvidal’s body was blocked and countered with a powerful head punch that dropped him to the ground. This was followed by a flurry of punches from the Floridian and a minute into the second round, Dean ended the fight giving Masvidal victory by TKO.
So what’s next for both fighters? For Cerrone, this was a career-changing opportunity. It was his chance to amass a five-fight win streak and be in contention for a welterweight title shot in what seems the final chapter of his mixed martial arts career. Whilst he remains a top ten contender, his reputation will have suffered from this loss and there will be questions about his ability, particularly against better boxers.
For “Gamebred” a whole host of opportunities await, laying down the gauntlet in his post-fight Octagon interview.
“I’ve got to get the biggest fights I possibly can,” said a pumped-up Masvidal. “I know $200,000 isn’t a lot to Dana [White] but to me, I’m a working man, $200,000 is a lot. I was trying to tell him there is nobody you can find that can beat me. I’m so confident I’ll put $200,000 of my own money on it.”
Dana responded at the UFC Denver post-fight presser: “If he fought all the time like he fights tonight, he’ll be a world champion”. The UFC President went on to describe Masvidal as ‘super talented’.
In terms of potential clashes for the pair, there are numerous options available. For Cerrone, a top level opponent is still in order. There is no doubting Cerrone’s ability but many, including White, believe he should prepare for his next opponent with a full camp. The UFC president was quoted saying: “I hate when “Cowboy” does this, he has four wins at welterweight and he wants to fight back-to-back like this, but that’s who this kid is, that’s what he wants to do.”
Due to his current ranking in the division, combined with his recent poor form, Johny Hendricks would make for a suitable fight at this stage of the Jackson-Wink MMA man’s career. With Hendricks losing his last three fights, it will give “Cowboy” a good chance of getting back to winning ways and would be a scalp of a top ten contender.
Another option could be highly rated Carlos Condit who has suffered defeat in his previous two fights. This said, whilst “The Natural Born killer” isn’t a clean boxer as such, he is an excellent striker and as Masvidal and previous opponents have shown, Cerrone doesn’t tend to fare too well against them.
As for Masvidal, a whole plethora of chances are available and he will be eager to continue his three-fight win streak and his ascendancy up the welterweight division. Currently ranked number seven, the American Top Team man believes he has the tools to beat anyone in his respective division.
The response to the result against Cerrone has sparked fireworks at 170lbs. In reply to Masvidal’s claim of giving Dana $200,000 to find someone who can beat him, welterweight contender Neil Magny tweeted “$200k, huh?…”, suggesting that the number eight ranked welterweight is eyeing up a clash with “Gamebred” in the near future.
Not only this but Masvidal has whipped MMA fans into a frenzy by calling out the Diaz brothers. Speaking to UFC.com, a confident Masvidal said: “The Diaz’s… One is at 155 and one is at 170 or 185. I’ll fight wherever the money is and i’ll fight whoever is in front of me”. A potential clash with either of the Diaz brothers is without question a mouthwatering one.
Ranked as the fifth best welterweight, Condit could also be an ideal match-up for the Floridian as he looks to climb the rankings. A rematch with Lorenz Larkin would not only provide a ranked match-up but an interesting rematch after Larkin pipped “Gamebred” to a split decision victory at UFC Fight Night 88. This would be a popular fight amongst fans and would give Masvidal a chance of avenging his defeat.
Finally, with the clear ambition of Masvidal, Robbie Lawler would undoubtedly be an excellent opponent for Jorge. If both Masvidal and Dana share the same vision of Masvidal becoming welterweight champion, he needs to be fighting the best. With Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson having their rematch for the welterweight title, Lawler is the highest ranked welterweight available and a win over “Ruthless” would certainly put Masvidal into contention for a title fight.
