Jorge Masvidal Claims Dana White ‘Penalized’ Him to ‘Control’ UFC Rankings – “I Never Got a Top 15 Opponent”

Jorge Masvidal’s relationship with UFC President Dana White has been a rollercoaster ride of mutual respect, business disputes, and fight promotion. Masvidal has openly criticized fighter pay and at times clashed with the UFC over contract negotiations. In 2020, he even accused the UFC of underpaying him, leading to a brief standoff before he eventually signed a new deal. Despite these disagreements, Dana White always spoke highly of Masvidal’s fighting spirit, marketing him as one of the toughest competitors in the sport. But it seems ‘Gamebred’ still has a few grievances from the UFC head honcho.

Dana White has always been the face and driving force behind the UFC, but his favoritism toward certain fighters has long been a hot topic among fans and fighters alike. While the UFC is a business at its core, White’s personal preferences often seem to shape matchmaking, promotional pushes, and even title opportunities. During a recent conversation on the Adversity Kings with Tristan Dablik podcast, the 40-year-old pointed out how he never got the opportunity to face a top 15 guy in his initial days after moving to the UFC from Strike Force.  It was his fight with the champion Gilbert Melendez at Strike Force that kind of affected his move to the promotion.

Masvidal pointed out that he injured his hand in the fight but still managed to take the fight to the full distance. However, it seems he was not able to impress everyone with his performance. ‘Gamebred’ further added, “And the UFC like kind of penalized me after that you know. I went and had another fight after that won it against another top contender so I was five and one in my Strike Force. And I was the number one contender there. And the UFC brought over Strike Force, they set them all up with different opponents. I never got a top-15 opponent at 155 pounds. The whole time I was at 155 pounds.” 

The former BMF title feels it was mainly because the rankings are controlled by the UFC and said, “That’s why they lost the current lawsuit is because they control the rankings right.” After a year-long layoff, Masvidal returned with a vengeance, knocking out Darren Till in hostile territory in London. But it was his next fight that truly sent shockwaves through the MMA world—his record-setting five-second knockout of Ben Askren.

The flying knee heard around the world turned Masvidal into an overnight sensation, earning him the “BMF” title fight against Nate Diaz at Madison Square Garden. While the 40-year-old had to make his way to the top, he feels Conor McGregor was helped massively by the UFC CEO Dana White to become the star he is now.

Jorge Masvidal gives insight into how Conor McGregor was helped by Dana White

Conor McGregor may not be the most active fighter at the moment but at one point he was the most sought-after fighter in the UFC. With his brash confidence and outstanding performances inside the Octagon, he became Dana White’s most important fighter in the mid-to-late 2010s. However, former welterweight contender Jorge Masvidal believes that the Dubliner’s rise was not all his credit.

According to ‘Gamebred’, the UFC CEO played a crucial role in guiding McGregor’s meteoric rise. One of the claims made by him was that he was given the promotional push and opportunities needed to reach superstardom. He believes that Dana White was very particular when selecting McGregor’s opponents, which helped ‘Mystic Mac’ showcase his skills.

Recognizing the Irishman’s elite striking and exceptional counter-punching, the 40-year-old believes White carefully avoided putting him against dominant grapplers. During his conversation on the AK podcast, he said, “The UFC pick and chose stars. Like, on his way up, he didn’t face no wrestlers, and the only one he did was Chad Mendes on like, seven days’ notice,”. 

He further added, “That is the only wrestler he faced up. Why? Because it’d be compromising to put him in there against one of the top grapplers that’ll take all the finesse away, take him down, make the fight f—ing boring, beat Conor, and now, let’s say he’s out of the mix.” 

Do you think Jorge Masvidal was intentionally ignored during the start of his UFC career? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.