MASVIDA READY TO RETURN TO UFC, EYES EDWARDS AS OPPONENT

Jorge Masvidal said Friday he intends to resume his career in mixed martial arts and already has discussed his pending return with the UFC.

Masvidal (35-17) announced his retirement from MMA in April 2023, following a loss to Gilbert Burns in his hometown of Miami. The 39-year-old went on to professionally box Nate Diaz in July, dropping a close majority decision.

Masvidal said he is thankful for that experience, but is now set on returning to the sport he competed in for 20 years.

"I definitely did [retire] from sports and all martial arts for about 45 to 60 days," Masvidal told ESPN. "And then it just hit me. I was like, I'm not retired. I can't. I started doing some boxing and that opportunity fell in my lap, great opportunity, I couldn't pass it up. But even when I was doing boxing, even though I loved it, it just doesn't compare to MMA."

Masvidal told ESPN he contacted the UFC last month to express his desire to return. He is still under contract and does not require a new deal. Since he did retire, he likely will need to be in the UFC's drug testing program for a minimum of 180 days before competition, although the UFC reserves the right to waive that requirement if it deems appropriate. Masvidal said he will meet any requirements necessary and is proud of his long history as a clean athlete.

In terms of a potential opponent for his comeback, Masvidal said he would love to target former welterweight champion Leon Edwards (22-4), whom he got into a backstage altercation with in 2019.

"Give me f---ing Leon Edwards, bro," Masvidal said. "What would you call him? A veteran? Ex-champion? Whatever you call that motherf---er, give me that. We've got a built-in history. [The UFC] has got the whole promo. Let's do the fight at the end of the year, next year. That's it. Let's get it done. And then, after I knock his ass out, guess what? They've got to give me the title shot."

Edwards, who lost his title to Belal Muhammad in July, does not currently have a fight booked.

If not Edwards, Masvidal mentioned Michael Chandler as a potential opponent. He said he will be open to anyone the UFC comes with, although he does feel that many younger, up-and-comers would need to do more to justify a matchup against him.

Masvidal exited the sport on a four fight skid, but two of those were to then-champion Kamaru Usman and another was to a former interim champion in Colby Covington.

"I only set out to win championships, a lot of you know," Masvidal said. "Situations went through my mind [in retirement] -- had I done this the right way or that the right way. So, I wasn't 100 percent happy. That's why, with this run, it's just I want to make everything as right as I possibly can."

- Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer

NATE DIAZ SUES, SAYS HE'S OWED $9M FOR JORGE MASVIDAL FIGHT

Less than two weeks after Nate Diaz defeated Jorge Masvidal in a boxing match, a lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Miami on Monday claiming that Diaz is owed $9 million by promoter Solomon Engel and his company, Fanmio.

In a filing acquired by ESPN, Diaz claims that he entered an agreement with Engel and Fanmio to be paid $10 million for the fight against Masvidal with $1 million paid upfront and $9 million paid after the event. The lawsuit states that Engel is now reneging on the deal, claiming that the event is going to lose money.

"In a flurry of desperate calls to Diaz's representatives following the event, Engel despondently groveled that he was going to lose more money than he had anticipated on the event if he paid Diaz what he had promised and that his wife might divorce him because of the financial losses," the lawsuit states. "Engel went so far as to threaten he might have to declare bankruptcy to avoid paying Diaz what he owed."

Diaz is suing for both fraud and breach of contract.

"Nate Diaz has filed a frivolous lawsuit against Fanmio which claims that fraud and breach of contract were committed by Fanmio, yet neither has taken place," Engel said in a statement. "In fact, Diaz has already been paid seven figures in connection with the fight. I look forward to resolving this dispute through the appropriate process and am confident that justice will prevail."

Diaz defeated Masvidal by majority decision in a 10-round boxing match on July 6. The event took place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, and DAZN hosted the pay-per-view broadcast. A news release issued after the event stated that the event was a sellout with 18,040 fans at the Honda Center.

- Andreas Hale, ESPN

NATE DIAZ-JORGE MASVIDAL NEWS CONFERENCE ERUPTS INTO BRAWL

 A brawl broke out between members of Nate Diaz's and Jorge Masvidal's teams during a news conference for their July 6 boxing match after Diaz abruptly left before faceoffs.

The news conference took place in Anaheim, California, to promote the new date and location for the upcoming Diaz-Masvidal fight. The boxing match was originally scheduled for June 1 at the Kia Forum in Inglewood but was relocated to the Honda Center in Anaheim on July 6.

Tensions were already high between the two fighters, who last met in the UFC for the inaugural BMF championship in 2019. The highly anticipated encounter ended on a sour note when a doctor stopped the fight because of a cut over Diaz's eye. Masvidal was awarded the victory and was the first BMF champion, but the two fighters have had lingering issues since then that they looked to settle inside of a boxing ring. But Diaz appeared completely uninterested in participating in Thursday's news conference.

"I'm done with this whole press conference s---," a visibly annoyed Diaz said. "I'm glad we're here promoting these great fights that are happening, but, besides that, my work here is done."

Diaz got up and began making his exit before organizers asked for him to return to face off with Masvidal. The Stockton, California, fighter returned to the stage, flexed briefly for the cameras and left before Masvidal could meet him. The two exchanged words and both teams swarmed in.

As the situation intensified, a member of Diaz's team threw a punch at Masvidal after the Cuban fighter slapped at him. One of Masvidal's boxing coaches, Jorge Capetillo, responded with a punch of his own and a brawl ensued between members of both teams. Masvidal emerged after security restored order and didn't appear to have suffered any injuries during the fight. Diaz didn't seem to have participated in the brawl and wasn't seen in any of the videos that have surfaced on social media.

- Andreas Hale, ESPN