MMAOB staff writer Adam Martin takes a deeper look at the main event of UFC 244, a five-round welterweight bout between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz for the UFC BMF title. The event takes place on Saturday, November 2 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York.
Jorge Masvidal (-170)
Masvidal (34-13) has quickly emerged as one of the biggest stars in the UFC. The 34-year-old American is a long-time veteran of the sport, having fought for promotions such as Strikeforce, Bellator, Sengoku, BodogFight and, of course, the UFC. Since coming over to the UFC after the Strikeforce acquisition in 2013, Masvidal is 11-6 in the Octagon. Some of his notable victories include Ben Askren, Darren Till, Donald Cerrone, Michael Chiesa and Tim Means. Masvidal was a long-time journeyman in the sport but has exploded into superstardom in 2019 with his knockout wins over Till and Askren. He is one of the most well-rounded fighters in the UFC welterweight division. His boxing is top-notch, he has an underrated submission game, his wrestling is very good, he has an iron chin, and his cardio is superb. It was only a matter of time until Masvidal took the next step in his career, and this year he has. With a win over Diaz, Masvidal will surely finally get a chance to fight for the UFC welterweight title.
Nate Diaz (+150)
Diaz (20-11) is one of the most popular fighters on the UFC roster and a former winner of “The Ultimate Fighter.” The 34-year-old American has been fighting in the UFC since 2007 and holds an all-time record of 15-9 inside the Octagon. Some of his notable victories include Conor McGregor, Anthony Pettis, Donald Cerrone, Jim Miller and Michael Johnson. Diaz is one of the most exciting and popular fighters in MMA. He is known for having incredible boxing skills as well as some of the best cardio in the sport. His submission game is also strong, and his wrestling has improved over the years. He also has an iron chin. After being mostly a journeyman throughout his career, Diaz exploded into superstardom when he beat McGregor in March 2016. After taking three years off after losing to McGregor in their rematch in August 2016, Diaz returned to the Octagon and picked up a massive win over Pettis this summer. Despite one fight in three years, a win here over Masvidal could fault Diaz into title contention at 170lbs.
Fight Breakdown: Every MMA fan is looking forward to this fight between Masvidal and Diaz for the UFC BMF title. It’s just an incredible matchup on paper, and knowing how exciting both men are, there’s no way this fight could be boring. Diaz called Masvidal out after he beat Pettis at UFC 241 and the UFC obliged and booked the fight. It should be one of the biggest pay-per-views of the year. As far as the matchup itself goes, it’s a very competitive fight on paper between two men who match up very well against one another. Both men primarily like to keep their fights on the feet and work their hands, though Masvidal is more varied in his striking approach as he mixes in knees and kicks as well. Both men have excellent grappling skills as well, so the fight could also go there. But more likely than not these two are going to stand on the feet and bang it out for the fans’ delight. I believe Diaz is a bit sharper with his striking and his volume will score him more points. At the end of 25 minutes, my prediction is for Diaz to win a decision in a 2019 “Fight of the Year” candidate.
Prediction: Nate Diaz wins by decision
