One of the most legendary careers in recent years was hanging on by a thread. Before his bout against Gilbert Burns, Jorge Masvidal declared that he would hang up his gloves if he failed to clinch a victory. The Miami-born fighter has kept his word.
After a decision loss at UFC 287, Masvidal has called it quits. While the Miami fans have heralded him as one of the greats, a lot of netizens have refused to put him in that bracket.
Jorge Masvidal called it quits
Masvidal’s return to Miami did not go as he would have wanted it to go. Right from the get-go, fans were behind him though. Fans started chanting “305” as soon as these two touched gloves and commenced the fight. “Jorge” chants echoed through the arena. However, the support did not translate into Masvidal’s performance.
While the two were watchful in the first few minutes, Burns made the first round count as soon as he read Masvidal. He took down Masvidal in the dying seconds and tried to batter him with relentless blows.
Masvidal stood tall against the blows. Things did not change in his favor though. Burns returned to the second round in the same fashion. Burns kept completing takedowns. The second round eventually ended in a stale fashion as Masvidal evaded the ground lock. The two lurked around in the middle looking for gaps.
The third round must have weighed Masvidal down a bit. The thought of retirement is hard to get rid of. Despite all that, Masvidal tried to find his way back into the fight. Burns, on the other hand, was equal to the task. The Brazilian could not land the final blow. Eventually, he did win the fight on a unanimous decision, with a scorecard of 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 in his favor.
Fans had mixed reactions to Masvidal’s retirement news
As the events unraveled, Masvidal gave the big announcement. UFC along with esteemed broadcasting media like Bleacher Report thanked him for his career. Masvidal ended with a record of 35-17-0, which spanned over 20 years.
While Miami faithful heralded him as the “Miami GOAT”, many did not feel the need to thank him for his career. Some even taunted questioning whether there should be a reason to thank a “loser.” Netizens mostly thanked him though. Praises and messages rushed in, congratulating Masvidal for a stellar career.
Thank you, Jorge Masvidal đ pic.twitter.com/67E0NRi55C
â Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 9, 2023
Goat of Miami
â Emmy (@Emmmyalluu) April 9, 2023
For what??? We praising losers now?? đšđš
â SMH24 (@smh24yt__) April 9, 2023
It may be hard for some fans to regard Masvidal as one of the modern greats. He has had a controversial time on and off the octagon. However, his Miami fandom should be an indication of what he means to his hometown. Nonetheless, Masvidal has entertained the fans throughout his career.
How did you see Masvidal as an MMA fighter? Was he one of your favorites?
