Jorge Masvidal has escalated his feud with Chael Sonnen by challenging him to a bare-knuckle MMA fight at his own promotion, delivering one of his more colorful responses in a career that has not been short of them.
The confrontation stems from Sonnen calling out Masvidal on his YouTube channel and branding him a liar for claiming to be in discussions with the UFC about a return. Masvidal addressed the comments on the Deathrow podcast and made clear he has not forgotten that Sonnen cornered Colby Covington during their rivalry, which he considers a line crossed.
“This motherf—er has nerve,” Masvidal said. “Every time he mentions my name his 17 fans tune in because he literally has no views, everyone has forgotten about this guy. I’m gonna beat the living f—ing breaks out of you, but not for free. I’ll pay you to come over to my promotion bare-knuckle MMA, I’ll go up to heavyweight, beat the lesbian out of you.”
Masvidal and Sonnen had a respectful relationship until Masvidal turned on him in 2022 after comments Sonnen made that Masvidal took as a betrayal. Sonnen’s decision to corner Covington, Masvidal’s most bitter rival, further damaged whatever remained of the dynamic.
Masvidal is still awaiting a confirmed UFC return. Dana White confirmed he is in discussions with Masvidal about a comeback, though no opponent has been finalized. Masvidal has stated he would immediately drop back to welterweight for a fight with Leon Edwards.
Gamebred Promotions, Masvidal’s bareknuckle MMA organization, holds its next event on May 1, headlined by Yoel Romero vs. Hector Lombard.