Jorge Masvidal Explains Pre-Fight Week Absence: 'I Just Like Being On My Own'

Jorge Masvidal takes on Ben Askren in a highly-anticipated matchup this Saturday night at UFC 239, but the man known as “Gamebred” was notably absent at last week’s media events. Askren was quick to point out that his opponent was missing, an absence Masvidal puts down to preferring to be on his own.

The good news for fans is that Masvidal did show up in person for the traditional fight-week festivities including events for International Fight Week and even came face-to-face for the first time with Askren. Masvidal told MMA Junkie Radio in a recent interview that he preferred to be on his own in the lead-up before the fight before stating that Askren simply gets on his nerves.

“Fight week, I’m ready for it (media), but before that, I just like being on my own,” Masvidal said. “Especially going back and forth with an idiot like that, who’s not funny, that’s not witty. He’s just throwing up anything that he can. He freezes up in real life when he does see a mother-----, so I don’t care to be all in the media going back and forth with this hillbilly or whatever the f--- he is.”

Masvidal accepts that being a well-known UFC-fighter means he has a number of obligations, particularly to his fans, but prefers just getting inside the Octagon and doing what he does best:

“I always just want to be in the cage, right here, right now,” Masvidal said. “I always said this from the beginning: I got into this for the fighting. The fame is cool, but I didn’t expect to get famous off it. I just expected that I could make nice paychecks and kick a lot of people’s butts in the process.”