VIDEO: Jorge Masvidal Tells Outrageous Story of How His Family Escaped Cuba in a Truck Tire
By Kevin Aquino
Ahead of his November clash with Nate Diaz at UFC 244, Jorge Masvidal stopped by ESPN's "The Dan Le Batard Show" to share a riveting personal story. He explained how his father's family first made their way to the United States from their native Cuba on a raft made out of... yes, out of a tire from a tractor trailer.
.@GamebredFighter is interesting not just because he is enormous fun but because his story is distinctly Cuban and Miami. Here he is on @LeBatardShow describing how his family escaped Cuba by turning a tractor trailer tire into a raft they survived on for 5 days: pic.twitter.com/dZdStvMXSY
— Parakeet A. Cortes (@Ryan_Cortes) September 12, 2019
Masivdal fights like his life depends on it, and it looks like he got that instinct from his father. At 14 years old, Gamebred's dad decided to take a huge risk by paddling from Cuba to the U.S., and was able to make it to Miami, where Jorge was born and raised.
Masvidal has the chance to fling himself back into the welterweight title picture after rattling off two huge knockout wins, his last against Ben Askren being the fastest in UFC history. If the 34-year-old "Street Jesus" can spoil Diaz's second fight in three years, a world title shot is undoubtedly in the cards.
More news on UFC 244 in NY: The Darren Till vs. Kelvin Gastelum matchup will officially serve as the co-main event. Main event, of course, Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal for the coveted BMF title.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) September 10, 2019
MMA fans are in for an all-out brawl at UFC 244 in New York, and with both fighters coming from tough beginnings, Diaz and Masvidal could channel their roots and turn the main event into a street-fight slugfest for the history books.