UFC veteran Jorge Masvidal is in line for a return to the organisation.

Masvidal, who retired from mixed martial arts in 2023 after losing to Gilbert Burns in what was his fourth successive defeat under the UFC banner, told MMA Fighting this week that he has engaged the organisation in discussions over a comeback to the Octagon later this year, or early next.

“I’ve been talking to my boy Hunter [UFC executive Campbell],” Masvidal said. “Finding out, he’s like, ‘Let me check this date, see if this dude wants the heat, let me see if that guy wants to get beat up.’ First, we’ll lock in the date. Lock in that date and then we’ll find the body.”

Since stepping away from mixed martial arts, Masvidal has entered fight promotion — as well as the boxing ring, where he lost a narrow majority decision to Nate Diaz in July in what was a rematch of their inaugural ‘BMF’ title bout back in 2019.

“How do you rob somebody so blatantly?” Masvidal said of his sophomore outing against Diaz. “But I knew that going in. Originally when we were negotiating, my team was going to get a judge from California, a judge from Vegas, and a judge from Florida. It seems fair. And they weren’t having it. They’re like, ‘No, we’re not interested in that. Three Californians, all the judges [have to be] from California or there will be no fight. We’re not interested in that.’

“I’m like, it’s such a ho tactic, but in my mind I’m thinking, ‘I’m going to knock this guy out again anyway, so what do I care? Let him think these judges being on his side, he’s going to win. I’m going to leave him face up looking for air.’ But unfortunately in that department, it didn’t go my way.”

He added: “I ain’t slowing down. I’m training everyday, especially after what that last robbery just did to me. It left a bad taste in my mouth. I knew with three California judges and fighting a dude in California.”