UFC Lightweight Jorge Masvidal has been around. The 28-year-old Lightweight has fought for Strikeforce, Bellator, Sengoku and seven other promotions as a professional as well as doing his share of Florida backyard YouTube fights. Is the grass greener inside the Octagon? Just ask Masvidal.
He spoke to UFC.com's Thomas Gervasi and didn't hold back:
"When my manager called and said that I was getting [Michael] Chiesa, I felt like a kid again," explains Masvidal. "I was like, ‘Man, I'm getting so many fights. This is awesome!' I haven't had that back-to-back, staying busy in a while and I was just ecstatic. I want to thank God and [UFC matchmaker] Joe Silva for giving me that opportunity to fight again. I felt like I was eight years old and it was Christmas and I got a bike! I was just excited. I don't care who the opponent is at this point; I know I'm getting paid and I know I'm going to kick his ass. If it would've been a top 10 fighter, even better, but I'm just happy to be fighting. You don't understand how happy I am just to be fighting.
"I'm going to hit a stride in the near future," asserts Masvidal. "When I stay busy, I become a different athlete. When I'm competing three, four times a year, I'm on my game. When I'm only fighting once a year and fights are spread out with eight months in between, it's hard to stay in shape and stay motivated in the gym. It's a mental thing. I should be able to stay in shape and motivated in the gym, but when time passes by and you don't have a fight, it's just like, whatever man. Now that I'm in the UFC, I'm going to be competing three, four times a year, I'm going to hit my stride, things are going to open up, and I'm going to show people what I can really do."
Masvidal will look to improve his UFC record to 2-0 against Michael Chiesa at UFC on Fox 8: Johnson vs. Moraga on July 27.
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