Jorge Masvidal and Jake Paul‘s potential boxing match never came close to happening, despite their heated exchanges and social media beef. Masvidal initially aligned himself with Tyron Woodley, who was set to fight Paul in a boxing match. Masvidal briefly worked with Paul to help him prepare for his fight against Ben Askren, a common opponent for both Masvidal and Paul.
However, Masvidal revealed that the UFC never showed any interest in allowing him to pursue boxing. The UFC has been known to be selective about allowing its fighters to compete in rival combat sports promotions, with rare exceptions such as Conor McGregor‘s boxing match against Floyd Mayweather in 2017. Even though Masvidal announced his retirement in April, he remains under contract with the UFC, and they would have to give him permission to pursue another endeavor.
Masvidal expressed his desire to test himself in boxing, as it was his first love and something he wanted to pursue as his skill set progressed. However, without permission from the UFC, he cannot engage in boxing matches.
While Masvidal’s own boxing aspirations may remain on hold indefinitely, he did share his opinion on Nate Diaz’s upcoming boxing match against Jake Paul. Diaz, who fought out his UFC contract and entered free agency, reached a deal for a boxing match with Paul. Masvidal believes Diaz, with his experience and endurance, will make an easy transition into boxing. Masvidal considers boxing to be a natural fit for Diaz and expects him to perform well in the fight.