Jorge Masvidal Picks Paul Over Tyson, Calls Conor McGregor a "Drug Addict"

Friday's Jake Paul-Mike Tyson bout has everyone talking – and you can add former UFC great Jorge Masvidal to the list of notables who favored the victorious reality star over the boxing legend.

"What kind of 58-year-old man can keep up with someone in their 20s when they're doing a sprint?" asked Masvidal in a recent exclusive interview with Sportsbook Review. "I feel like Jake's gonna take the first two rounds off, just get on his bike and move around, wear Tyson out. He'll get tired. He will probably want to take Mike into the later rounds and then it's going to be a problem."

Masvidal – and the oddsmakers – called it correctly, with Paul earning a unanimous victory over the aging Tyson in a largely uneventful main event that will be remembered more for Netflix's persistent buffering problems. The closing Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson odds listed the YouTuber-turned-pugilist as a -210 favorite while Tyson, a former world heavyweight champion, was in the +170 range.

Masvidal, who turned 40 on Tuesday, suggested that Paul's superior conditioning would be too much for Tyson, who hadn't fought in a sanctioned bout in nearly 20 years.

"I don't think Jake is a good enough boxer to keep Mike off," Masvidal told Sportsbook Review. "But I'm leaning towards Jake by decision. It's 14-ounce gloves so that favors Jake, he should be able to take a shot better. The longer it goes the better it is for Jake, but can he get out of those first two rounds?

Jake wins because of the overall age, conditioning, shape, it's going to make a big difference."

No McGregor or Paul in Masvidal's future

Masvidal, meanwhile, is gearing up for his own return to the fight arena, confirming that he'll be ending his retirement from mixed martial arts sometime in 2025.

"Man, we’re talking a lot," said Masvidal, whose last UFC appearance came in an April 2023 defeat to Gilbert Burns at UFC 287. "I can't give out too many details yet, but I can tell you I’m fighting next year, March or April.

"We don’t know who or where yet, but we’re working on it. We’re coming up with a good gameplan. We’re still working out dates but, brother, when it gets announced, it’ll be one of the biggest fights of the year. It’s going to be a big one, it’s going to make people’s heads turn."

Masvidal, whose first UFC run included the fastest win in the organization's history (five seconds) and winning the ceremonial UFC "BMF" Championship at UFC 244, might not be able to confirm who he'll fight in his return to the Octagon, but one of the biggest names in fighting almost certainly won't be on that list.

Masvidal unlikely to face McGregor

When asked if he would accept a fight with mega-star Conor McGregor – who himself has been absent from UFC since 2021 – Masvidal said it likely wasn't in the cards while also taking a shot at the former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion.

"I’d love it, but I’m not waiting around for him," said Masvidal. "I’m not sitting around for nobody, especially not this drug addict. Let that guy live his f**king life, but he isn’t fighting. I don’t see it in him. I see it in his eyes, he isn’t about the fight life anymore. I don’t see him fighting again, not with his current lifestyle."

UFC blocks Paul meet-up

As for the previously mentioned Paul, Masvidal doesn't envision fighting him, either – at least, not as long as Masvidal remains tied to mixed martial arts.

"I'm full time with the UFC, the UFC granted me permission to box outside the company, but one of the names that I wasn't allowed to fight was Jake Paul," Masvidal explained.

"The reason is, he's trashed the UFC brand too much, he's disrespected Dana and Hunter too much, he said things he shouldn't have said, so the UFC said I'm one of their top sellers, why are we going to allow you to go make some money for this fucking dweeb over here. So I'm not allowed to fight Jake until I'm done with my UFC career."

Despite Masvidal's insistence, oddsmakers have him as a +500 co-favorite to be Paul's next opponent; McGregor is also listed at +500, with KSI next on the list at +600.

Look out, WWE

The always colorful Masvidal has plans that go well beyond MMA or boxing (he made his debut in the squared circle July 6, losing a majority decision to Nate Diaz). One option broached during the interview: whether he would consider joining World Wrestling Entertainment when he's finished in the Octagon.

"The WWE have a bunch of wild m*****f***ers over there," Masvidal said. "But when they want to send me over there to domesticate these guys ... please do. I will f**king put these guys in line. I'll put you through the mat into next week. I will break their f**king faces. I'll twist their arms and steal their girls. They don't want me over there, brother.

"On top of that I'm rowdy in real life, I'd go full crazy, brother. We'd do some crazy s**t if we went over there. But they've got scripts over there, they tell people what to say and s**t, and I can only go 100 miles per hour."

Masvidal showed a similar level of enthusiasm at the thought of competing in bare knuckle boxing – and has a pair of familiar opponents in mind.

Colby (Covington) and Conor (McGregor)," he said. "I would love them in bare knuckle and I'll plow their f**king faces in.

"It would do a lot of PPVs because a lot of people would pay to see them exterminated, but that's just my wish. I'm tied to a UFC contract for another six fights, I'm not complaining, I love it. It's the biggest company in the f**king world. (But) at the end of those six fights, it's a different story, so don't be surprised if I do something rowdy like that."

Masvidal talks UFC 309, Jones-Ngannou

While Masvidal is a deft self-promoter, he also keeps a close eye on all mixed martial arts happenings – and had some interesting commentary to offer on a variety of MMA topics and storylines.

On Stipe Miocic vs. Jon Jones at UFC 309: "It's hard to bet against Jon Jones, we've never seen this man ever get dropped. He can party all week and choke someone out, that's the rockstar shit Jon does. But now he's fully committed. He's one of the most gifted guys, but if Stipe wins, I wouldn't be surprised either. On paper, he's one of the toughest guys for Jones. Stipe is the naturally bigger guy. He’s got a Cormier style, he can wrestle real good, defensive and offensive, his hands are sharp, but I'm going to lean towards Miocic with the hands, the discipline with the hands. It's going to be the fight of the year."

On Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler at UFC 309: "When (Olivera) is on it, he's one of the most dangerous guys in the UFC. He's someone that can submit you off his back. He is no joke. This guy can detach a ligament from your body even when he's on his back. It's very hard to do that at this level but Oliveira can do that. And he's all heart, ever since he's made those changes. He’s one of my favorite fighters. He's all heart. Michael Chandler, on the other hand, has a right hand from hell. He's like Mike Tyson in the first round, he comes in blazing. You can't count Chandler out, Charles can start slow, he got dropped in the first fight, early on Chandler can catch this guy and put him out. But then after Round 2 when Charles really bites down and he really has that timing down he throws real-life f**king bombs."

On a potential Jones-Francis Ngannou cross-promotional fight: "Yes, if there was enough money for it to make sense for both sides then yes I could see it happening. The UFC doesn't need to, I don't want to s*** on the (Professional Fighters League) in any shape or form, but the UFC does not need the PFL whatsoever. And they may not necessarily want that fight either. They've got all the guys they want, everybody wants to fight for the UFC. So they don't need that fight but would they do it if something insane and crazy came up?"