UFC star Jorge Masvidal backs Donald Trump in US presidential race and says Joe Biden ‘panders to Latinos’

UFC welterweight Jorge Masvidal has expressed his support for Donald Trump in the US president’s bid to extend his time in the Whitehouse, while criticising Democratic candidate Joe Biden for “pandering” to Latinos.

With the US general election set to take place on 3 November – but early voting already open – Republican Trump is going head to head with former vice-president Biden.

And Masvidal, one of the most popular names in MMA, has backed Trump while speaking at a rally in Florida.

“I’m gonna let you in on something,” the 35-year-old told the crowd this week. “The Democrats just think that they’re entitled to the Latino vote, they think that we just have to hand it over to them.

“We sure as hell don’t. They gotta show us what they can do for us, what they can do for our communities. We’re not gonna buy the same wolf tickets and false promises that desroyed great countries like Veneuzuela and Cuba – it’s not gonna happen,” continued ‘Gamebred’, a Miami native born to a Cuban father and Peruvian mother.

“You know what else is not gonna work for them? Playing ‘Despacito’ on your phone to pander to us – hell no,” Masvidal said, referencing a moment in September when Biden danced to Luis Fonsi’s hit song on stage. “You gotta give us some credit for having heads on our shoulders.

“I’m gonna wrap this up with some words of Barack Obama’s,” Masvidal continued to audible boos. “He said elections have consequences. That is true, and those words have never been more true than they are today. We either re-elect President Trump and keep America great, or we let Joe Biden destroy the greatest country the world has ever seen.

“Now I’m a professional athlete and I’ve been one for most of my life, so I’ve always seen things through a sports lens. That makes Donald Trump our head coach, and before the global pandemic we were winning Super Bowls. And when you’re winning Super Bowls, you don’t fire the coach.

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t like the plays he runs, the players he puts on the field, or what he says on Twitter. You sure as hell don’t replace him for another coach that’s been in the business for 47 years at every level and never won a f***ing game.”

Masvidal enjoyed the most successful year of his career in 2019, finishing Liverpool’s Darren Till in London, England, knocking out Ben Askren in a UFC-record five seconds and stopping fan favourite Nate Diaz at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In July of this year, he challenged Kamaru Usman for the promotion’s welterweight title but was beaten comfortably on points.

UFC president Dana White is a known supporter and friend of Trump and has contributed to his campaigns in the past, and UFC welterweight contender Colby Covington is also a friend and supporter of Trump’s, and received a call from the president live on television after his most recent win, in September.

Covington and Masvidal were formerly best friends but have been engaged in a bitter feud for some time now.