Recently retired UFC welterweight Jorge Masvidal denies Gilbert Burns’ allegation that he cheated at UFC 287.
After outpointing Masvidal via unanimous decision, Burns accused his opponent of using an “old dog, Miami trick” by applying lotion on his skin before the fight. Burns said the lotion seeped out during the fight, making Masvidal’s skin slippery and thereby tougher to grapple.
“There’s a commission. There was, like, three commissioners backstage,” Masvidal responded on Monday on The MMA Hour. “There’s numerous people backstage besides [UFC anti-doping partner U.S. Anti-Doping Agency]. I’ve never greased, I’ve never been caught for cheating or anything.
“Maybe I’m the sweatiest motherf***** he knows, but I’ve never greased. I’ve never put on anything in my life for forever. I’ve never done that in my life. Maybe he should blame his technique for f****** being shitty, not being able to do anything but just hold on the ground.”
Burns completed four takedowns and racked up significant time in control of Masvidal on the canvas. Masvidal managed to make it back to his feet but was held to 39 significant strikes to his opponent’s 42, according to UFC stats.
Burns said if Masvidal hadn’t been so slippery, he would have been able to finish the fight.
Masvidal afterward announced his retirement from the sport. He excited the arena with his family and did not appear at the post-event press conference to answer Burns’ accusation, which in method mirrored one former lightweight champ B.J. Penn made at Georges St-Pierre after a UFC 94 superfight loss.
“I’ve never cheated,” Masvidal said. “The referee was there, touching me constantly and breaking us up and moving us around. You’re telling me he couldn’t tell if I had grease? Ain’t no difference between that and sweating, so it’s whatever, bro.
“I’ve never cheated. I’m not about to cheat. I’ve never even had a point taken away from me in my 50-something pro fights. So for this guy to try to slander my name on my last one, whatever, bro.”
The decision loss to Burns marked Masvidal’s fourth straight UFC setback, which included back-to-back losses against now-former welterweight champ Kamaru Usman. Outside the cage, he has contended with legal troubles stemming from his rivalry with Colby Covington, which boiled over this past year with an alleged assault he committed outside of a Miami steakhouse.
Inside the octagon, however, Masvidal pointed to his clean record of competition.
“It annoys me, because I’ve never put grease or Vaseline or anything,” he said. “I just go out there and compete, bro. I’ve never done steroids. I’ve never missed weight. So I feel I don’t have to cheat to beat any of these motherf******. So, it’s just whatever, bro. Let him throw whatever he feels like out there.”
