Masvidal indicates he's 'free' to fight at UFC 249
Jorge Masvidal is seemingly willing to save UFC 249.
The welterweight contender tweeted Monday morning that he's "free" on April 18, the date of the promotion's next pay-per-view event.
April 18 I’m free #theresurrection
— Jorge Masvidal UFC (@GamebredFighter) March 30, 2020
UFC 249 is currently slated to be headlined by a lightweight title bout between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson, but that matchup appears to be in jeopardy. Nurmagomedov recently returned to Russia to finish up his training camp, but due to travel restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic, he may not be able to leave his home country.
The 155-pound champion said Monday that the UFC has already started looking for a new opponent for Ferguson, who's reportedly been offered a fight against top lightweight contender Justin Gaethje.
Meanwhile, Masvidal did not identify a preferred opponent for UFC 249 - whether it'd be Ferguson in a welterweight contest or someone else. The UFC briefly considered pitting "Gamebred" against 170-pound champ Kamaru Usman, but that matchup is unlikely to happen on April 18 as of now, sources told ESPN's Ariel Helwani.
Second time I say yes to the crotch sniffing champ, second time he has a date #theresurrection
— Jorge Masvidal UFC (@GamebredFighter) March 30, 2020
UFC president Dana White has been adamant about moving forward with the April 18 event despite the pandemic, which has already forced the cancellation of three cards. A new location for UFC 249 has not been confirmed after the promotion announced it wouldn't take place in Brooklyn as originally planned.
Masvidal, a breakout star in 2019, has won three straight fights. Most recently, he defeated Nate Diaz for the BMF title in the UFC 244 main event in November.