Jorge Masvidal
Fighting out of Miami, Florida
Division: Welterweight
MMA record 35-17
Age: 37
Height: 5’11”
Reach: 74”
Betting odds: +250
Overall
As someone who grew up watching YouTube videos of a teenage Jorge Masvidal beating up adult men in Kimbo Slice’s backyard, it’s surreal to see the fame he’s risen to. “Gamebred” has always been one of the most well-rounded fighters in MMA, capable of doing everything at least well. Throughout recent years he’s refined his technique and increased his finishing ability en route to becoming a top contender in the welterweight division and the owner of one of the most memorable knockouts in UFC history over Ben Askren.
Striking
Masvidal is an excellent striker with very good fundamentals. He pops a crisp jab, throws clean hooks, mixes in snapping kicks and has sound defense. While he has scored impressive knockouts over quality contenders in the UFC, I’m still not sold on him as a power threat in general. He still does his best work by outworking opponents with superior technique. It’s nice that he has added the threat of power, but I wouldn’t count on it consistently showing up.
Defensively, he’s very sound as well. He often keeps a high guard and generally doesn’t drop his hands. His reaction time and reflexes are excellent, but feints can keep him off balance. His durability has always been incredible in terms of staying conscious, though he has been dropped several times in his career. Generally he instantly recovers and snaps back to his feet, but his last bout vs Kamaru Usman was the exception, as he was knocked out clean. I do worry if that will weaken his durability going forward, which is sometime we often see in MMA after a fighter’s first KO defeat.
Grappling
Masvidal has always possessed great takedown defense along with a slippery ability to find his way back to his feet should he get taken down. Whether it’s more traditional wrestlers like Kamaru Usman or BJJ players like Demian Maia, no one has been able to easily and consistently take or hold Masvidal down. He’s adept at defending takedowns from space, but especially skilled at fending them off from the clinch.
However, that is where Jorge runs into issues. As good as he is at defending the takedowns there, he has trouble escaping the clinch position. Against takedown artists, he often ends up spending long periods with his back against the fence, unable to land offense of his own. He doesn’t get taken down, but he still loses the round. This is why he’s lost multiple close decision versus grapplers even though they couldn’t consistently take him down. It’s been the same story repeatedly in those matchups: he’s the better striker and can defend the takedowns, but just cannot avoid the clinch. History could repeat itself versus Colby Covington this Saturday.
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