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Jorge Masvidal is down for the throw-down ruckus in any shape or form and doesn't need added motivation to get up for a fight.



The Miami native embodies his signature "Gamebred" moniker wherever a scrap can be found, and his intensity toward all things dustup related skyrocket when said dustup is taking place inside the Octagon. It's on those nights pride, passion, and a sizable paycheck collide in the stakes department, and there's nothing Masvidal loves more than leveling his opposition and collecting a stack of greenbacks for his time.



Masvidal's competitive drive never shifts out of alpha, and he's looking to break all opposing forces with pressure and ferocity in his next matchup with Stephen Thompson at UFC 217 on Nov. 4 in New York City.



"If you see me on the poker table, I'm pretty ruthless too," Masvidal said. "I can fu*k shit up on the poker table. I guess it's a switch just being in that environment… Same thing when that cage closes, it's even worse because there's so much on the line… Once I say I'm going, I left. So you can imagine for Madison Square Garden the type of pain that I'm willing to go through to get the victory."



The aforementioned formula sits as the motivation for his career at large, with added appeal to potentially collect some championship gold along the way. After years spent searching for traction in various organizations and battling to carve out his place away from his peers in the pack, Masvidal has emerged to show he's a bona fide contender in the UFC's welterweight division. The 170-pound fold has consistently held status as one of the deepest collectives under the UFC's promotional banner, and of that group Masvidal resides in the elite tier.



That said, the ultra-aggressive striker's upcoming bout with Thompson could serve to notch the final requirement needed for Masvidal to get his long-awaited shot at championship gold.



"Wonderboy" is coming off back-to-back attempts to capture the divisional crown and currently holds a top ranking in the divisional title picture. The matchup pits two of the top strikers in the division head-to-head, and a victory over the former kickboxing champion would make it difficult to deny Masvidal the shot.



"First thing, baby… Jorge Masvidal just be ready for the best Wonderboy anyone has ever seen or you've ever seen come Nov. 4. at UFC 217. So be ready, baby," Thompson recently told FloCombat during a stop on the FC Road Trip project.



Yet, while the stylistic pairing seems super appealing on paper, Masvidal isn't buying that he's going to get the fight Thompson has been touting in the media.



Instead, Masvidal believes the South Carolina native is going to remain at range with hesitancy to engage. Furthermore, Masvidal is quite confident that any semblance of an actual fight taking place will only occur through his own doing.



"I don't believe he's coming to scrap," Masvidal told Flocombat. "I believe he's going to do what he always does. If a guy gives him a big enough of an opportunity for him to take a small risk, he'll do it, but he's going to stay defensive and play his game. He's not going to go in there and throw down, like, 'OK, let's fight and see what happens.'



"He's going to be more at his distance trying to dictate a pace like how he fought Rory MacDonald or a lot of the guys that won't fully commit to him, and he'll just take a back seat and just side kick and jab there. I think that's what he's going to do. It's up to me to make it a fight."

