Jorge Masvidal American mixed martial artist Date of Birth: 12.11.1984 Country: USA

1. Early Life and Street Fights
2. High School and Wrestling
3. Early Professional Career
4. BodogFIGHT and World Victory Road
5. Bellator
6. Strikeforce
7. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)

Early Life and Street Fights

Jorge Masvidal was born on November 12, 1984, in Miami, Florida, to a Cuban father and a Peruvian mother. From a young age, Masvidal had a passion for fighting and began participating in street fights at the age of 14. Amateur footage of his street fights is available on YouTube, including a notable victory over Kimbo Slice protégé Ray.

High School and Wrestling

During high school, Jorge Masvidal became a dedicated wrestler. However, due to his lifestyle, he dropped out and set his sights on becoming a professional fighter.

Early Professional Career

Masvidal made his professional mixed martial arts debut in May 2003, knocking out his opponent in the first round. He competed for Absolute Fighting Championship (AFC) in Fort Lauderdale, where he went 7-0 and won the vacant Welterweight Championship. His first professional loss came in April 2005 against Brazilian Rafael Assuncao.

BodogFIGHT and World Victory Road

From 2006 to 2007, Masvidal fought for BodogFIGHT, amassing a 3-0 record. In 2008, he traveled to Japan and competed in the World Victory Road promotion. He suffered a loss to Rodrigo Damm but emerged victorious in two reserve fights for the lightweight grand prix.

Bellator

In 2009, Masvidal joined the newly formed Bellator organization. He competed in the first Bellator Lightweight Grand Prix but lost in the semi-finals to Toby Imada via rear-naked choke. Sherdog and MMA Junkie named it the Submission of the Year.

Strikeforce

Masvidal had been fighting occasionally for Strikeforce since 2007. In 2011, he challenged for the Lightweight Championship against Gilbert Melendez. The championship bout went the full five rounds, but Melendez retained his title via unanimous decision. Masvidal went on to defeat Justin Wilcox but never fought for Strikeforce again as the promotion folded and its fighters transitioned to the UFC.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)

Jorge Masvidal signed an exclusive contract with the UFC and fought some of the best lightweight and welterweight fighters in the world. In 2013, he lost a decision to Rustam Khabilov but earned Fight of the Night honors. In 2017, he won Performance of the Night bonuses for his knockout victory over Cesar Ferreira and technical knockout victory over Donald Cerrone. However, he faced setbacks with decision losses to Demian Maia and Stephen Thompson.