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Jorge Masvidal is one of the biggest stars in the UFC. The Miami native is known for his refreshingly authentic persona, savage approach to the fight game and, most recently, his penchant for violent knockouts.
Masvidal hails from the unsanctioned backyard brawl scene in Miami, where he fought on numerous occasions as a teen. Until 2017, he was just another fighter on the UFC roster who struggled with his consistency.
Today, 'Gamebred' is among the biggest draws in MMA, largely thanks to a historic run in 2019, for which he won the 'Breakthrough Fighter of the Year' honors at the World MMA Awards.
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The Strikeforce veteran boasts a professional record of 35-15 and has fought some of the biggest names in the sport across his 50-fight career. Listed below are the five best performances by Jorge Masvidal in the UFC.
#5. Jorge Masvidal vs. Nate Diaz - UFC 244
Coming off back-to-back knockout victories over Darren Till and Ben Askren in the first half of 2019, Jorge Masvidal had UFC fans eating out of the palm of his hand.
At UFC 241, fellow UFC superstar Nate Diaz secured a unanimous decision victory over Anthony Pettis in his much-anticipated return to the octagon. In his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Diaz called out Masvidal and the duo subsequently squared off in a blockbuster matchup at UFC 244 just a few months later.
Masvidal dominated every exchange in the fight from start to finish. His shots clearly had a lot more power on them than Diaz's, allowing 'Gamebred' to pick apart the Stockton native.
Masvidal dropped Diaz twice in the bout, once with a perfectly placed headkick in the first round and with a vicious body kick in the second. In the third round, he continued to have his way in the striking exchanges and managed to open up some deep cuts around the eyes.
At the end of the third round, there was a massive cut above Diaz's right eye. The on-duty doctor called a halt to the action, handing Masvidal a TKO victory, as well as the ceremonial BMF belt.
Watch highlights from the Masvidal vs. Diaz fight below:
#4. Jorge Masvidal vs. Donald Cerrone - UFC on FOX 23
Jorge Masvidal endured a turbulent run in the UFC welterweight division between 2015 and 2016. Following consecutive split-decision losses to Benson Henderson and Lorenz Larkin, Masvidal returned to winning ways with back-to-back wins over Ross Pearson and Jake Ellenberger.
He took on fellow MMA veteran Donald Cerrone at UFC on FOX 23, eyeing a third win on the bounce.
Masvidal picked apart Cerrone from the opening bell. Towards the end of a hugely successful first round, 'Gamebred' dropped 'Cowboy', who was arguably saved by the bell.
After clearly winning the first round, Masvidal came out with a swagger in the second. He repeatedly caught Cerrone with his striking combinations, which ultimately proved to be too much for 'Cowboy'.
A minute into the second round, Cerrone threw a body kick, which Masvidal caught. The Miami native then landed a solid one-two combo on the off-balance 'Cowboy', knocking him down for the second time in the fight. 'Gamebred' closed the show with a couple of ground-and-pound strikes.
#3. Jorge Masvidal vs. Michael Chiesa - UFC on FOX 8
In his second fight in the UFC, Jorge Masvidal took on Michael Chiesa at UFC on FOX 8. Masvidal, a Strikeforce veteran, was the more experienced fighter going into the bout against the up-and-coming grappling phenom Chiesa. Considering the stylistic matchup, 'Gamebred' was the underdog going into the bout.
Up until this fight, Masvidal had just one submission win and three submission losses on his record. More often than not, his boxing-heavy style didn't fare well against wrestlers and grapplers.
Meanwhile, Chiesa came into the bout against 'Gamebred' off the back of six straight submission victories and was undefeated at the time.
The bout that ensued left fans in a state of utter shock. Masvidal bullied Chiesa around the octagon throughout the first two rounds while stuffing all of 'The Maverick's takedown attempts.
In the last 20 seconds of the bout, Masvidal surprisingly attacked a submission of his own. His brabo choke attempt in the dying seconds of the round forced Chiesa to tap, with just one second remaining on the clock.
#2. Jorge Masvidal vs. Darren Till - UFC Fight Night 147
Jorge Masvidal took a year-long hiatus from the UFC octagon following back-to-back decision losses to Demian Maia and Stephen Thompson in 2017. During his time away from the cage, he appeared on a Hispanic reality TV series, which he has since credited for giving him time to reflect on his career and make some changes to his approach.
Masvidal called out former title challenger Darren Till on social media in early 2019. The duo squared off in the main event of UFC Fight Night 147 in London, England, in March.
Till had a reputation for being a high-level striker just like Masvidal. Following the Englishman's failed attempt at the title against Tyron Woodley, the UFC was likely looking to give 'The Gorilla' a favorable matchup in his home country as a platform to bounce back.
Despite Masvidal's famed striking prowess, many expected him to struggle against the size, reach and power of Till. The first round showed why he was such a big betting underdog going into the bout as he was knocked down by the Brit after eating a powerful left straight.
In the second round, Masvidal seemingly slowed down and adopted a more calculated approach. Out of nowhere, 'Gamebred' blitzed Till and caught him with a thunderous left hook, putting him to sleep and silencing the English crowd in the process.
#1. Jorge Masvidal vs. Ben Askren - UFC 239
Following his win over Darren Till, there was a new aura of purpose surrounding Jorge Masvidal. In his next bout, he took on undefeated star Ben Askren at UFC 239. Askren, who boasted a perfect record and high-level wrestling pedigree, was the betting favorite going into the bout.
Askren relentlessly pocked fun at Masvidal throughout the build-up to their fight. 'Funky' repeatedly pointed out that their bout would be a nightmare stylistic matchup for 'Gamebred' and that he would make light work of the Miami native.
Askren's path to victory was obvious long before the duo squared off. He was never known for his striking skills and was smart enough to know that wrestling was the easiest route to victory.
However, Masvidal shocked the world in the opening sequence of the fight, producing one of the greatest knockouts in the history of combat sports. As soon as the bout started, 'Gamebred' darted at his opponent, knowing full well that the former wrestling champion would shoot for a takedown.
At full speed, he met Askren in the center of the cage with a powerful flying knee, which knocked him out just five seconds into the contest.
