Diaz vs. Masvidal confirmed for UFC 244 MSG Main Event

Often, the MMA Gods are cruel. Bad refereeing, years of FS1 of pacing, the fact that Khabib Nurmagomedov has yet to fight Tony Ferguson… But this Saturday morning, the bounty for MMA fans was plentiful.

It was announced by UFC President Dana White and confirmed by ESPN’s Bret Okamoto that Nate Diaz, coming off his big return win over Anthony Pettis, will face Jorge Masvidal in the main event of UFC 244 at Madison Square Garden in New York City on November 2.

Who is the BMF!? 🤬

We’re about to find out! @GamebredFighter meets @NateDiaz209 in the main event at MSG! #UFC244 pic.twitter.com/wgyjnt49Za

— UFC (@ufc) September 7, 2019

The fight will be five rounds and White has said there will be no title fights underneath, giving both fighters the spotlight that have long craved.

Diaz was the man who set this into motion, calling out Masvidal after his win over Pettis at UFC 241 last month. The man known as “Gamebred,” who was in the crowd that night, quickly expressed his enthusiasm for the fight and for two men known to be tough negotiators, this fight has come together rather quickly.

Masvidal has been red hot this year, knocking out former title challenger Darren Till in the first round on enemy soil in England in March and then needing just eight seconds and a single flying knee to end the undefeated streak of former Bellator and ONE welterweight champion Ben Askren. While the winner will almost certainly be in line for a future welterweight title shot, this fight is worth much more than that.

Fans and pundits alike have to come to see these men as the two realest fighters in the UFC. With similar backgrounds, each from the opposite coast, both often a headache for UFC brass, and both men possessing skills on both their feet and on the mat, this is a fight fans dream, especially in a five round main event in the World’s Most Famous Arena. Dana has promised to make a special “BMF belt” for the winner of the fight and that is appropriate, as in the eyes of fans, no two fighters deserve it more…