Jorge Masvidal believes Conor McGregor will hold off on fighting him because he is still some way off peak condition.
McGregor made a stunning comeback to MMA last weekend, finishing Donald Cerrone in a 40-second demolition at UFC 246, with Masvidal watching from cageside.
The Irishman has a host of options for his next fight, but Masvidal revealed McGregor has zero intention of facing him next.
‘He’s talking a lot of s***. But it’s all s*** cause he doesn’t want this,’ Masvidal said Le Batard and Friends podcast.
‘He could have cut the sickest promo — he could have cut the sickest promo of life.
‘Had everybody extra wanting it and talking about it. We kind of understand where they’re going.
‘Certain things he said on the microphone as well that he doesn’t feel he’s not up to speed, that he needs to work on this, he needs to work on that.
‘I get it, man. Go back in there, find your timing, when you feel you’re ready for the challenge, we do it.
‘There’s no rush. I’ll go get my title meanwhile. I’ll go f*** up [Kamaru] Usman meanwhile, and then me and Conor can talk in the future if he wants to or not.
‘It doesn’t really matter. I’m not here to bully people into fights or keep asking for the fight.
‘I’m going to go about my business like I said I always will.’
UFC president Dana White has openly admitted he doesn’t want McGregor to continue fighting at welterweight, suggesting his star fighter should drop back down to lightweight.
McGregor has remained tight-lipped on who he wants to fight next, but Masvidal predicted any showdown between them would damage the Notorious’ reputation.
‘Damn right I’m going to hurt that guy. That’s the main reason why someone smart like Dana White doesn’t put that fight together and want it,’ Masvidal said.
‘Because they can put one huge fight together and all that but that kind of hurts Conor’s reputation.
‘Instead, get him several small fights — they’re not small fights, like this last fight that he had and keep him winning — and keep that cash cow generating revenue as a winner.
‘Because if you bring him on this side, you’re going to have to generate the revenue from the losing side of it and it might not be as much as him winning several small battles.
‘So that’s how I think Mr. Dana White sees this thing. Because if he brings him in on this side, he’s leaving with an ‘L’ guaranteed.
‘They better not put that boy in there with me.’
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