Jorge Masvidal not worried about 'watered-down Royce Gracie' at UFC on FOX 8

Jorge Masvidal knows that no one will take him seriously as a UFC lightweight contender until he registers some stoppage wins. Luckily for the Strikeforce vet, he believes he’s fighting a “watered-down Royce Gracie” next week at UFC on FOX 8.

Masvidal, a 28-year-old American Top Team product who’s fought for a variety of major promotions, made his long-awaited UFC debut in April and scored a decision victory over a tough Tim Means.

But the hard-hitting Masvidal had trouble dealing with his opponent and reverted to his wrestling base to secure the win.

“A victory’s a victory, and I learned a couple things fighting Tim Means,” he told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). “I learned a couple things I can do to southpaws, some of the tricky stuff he does. But I was upset because the whole camp I had southpaws working with me, welterweight and middleweights … and when it came to fight day, I had to rely on my wrestling.

“I would throw some nice crisp punches, but they were all like a couple inches too short, and Tim would counter right away. That just didn’t let me open up my standup game as much as I wanted to. … As soon as I scored my takedowns, I was like, ‘Man, just keeping pouring on takedowns.’ It was the safest way to go.”

Safety, though, isn’t his primary concern next week. With his first fight and the dreaded octagon jitters now behind him, Masvidal knows he needs to add some stoppages to his resume if he wants to stand out in a crowded 155-pound division, where fellow Strikeforce vets such as Josh Thomson and Pat Healy have already garnered much attention.

“I’ve got to, man,” he said. “If you don’t finish people nowadays, nobody knows your name. I won’t ever get a title shot. I’ll have like 20 wins and not even be like an honorable mention. I’ve got to make sure I put the fireworks on this guy and just beat him start to finish.”

“This guy” is opponent and “The Ultimate Fighter 15? winner Michael Chiesa (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC), a grappler who’s scored seven submissions in nine career wins. He and Masvidal meet in the featured FX-televised preliminary-card bout at UFC on FOX 8 on July 27. But when they clash at Seattle’s KeyArena, Masvidal believes he’s in for a rather easy night of work.

“There’s nothing nowhere that impresses me about him,” Masvidal said. “He’s like a watered-down Royce Gracie. I don’t see anything on this guy.

“I’m excited about getting a W against anybody at lightweight, but especially against this guy. They’re giving me money at this point.”

Masvidal’s never been one short on confidence. He’s been knocked out just once in 31 career fights, and his only losses in the past four years have come via decision to Gilbert Melendez, Paul Daley and Luis Palomino.

He knows nothing is guaranteed in MMA, but following recent Strikeforce victories over the likes of Billy Evangelista, K.J. Noons and Justin Wilcox, he feels Chiesa is unlikely to be a threat, even if they hit the mat.

“Anything can happen,” Masvidal said. “Anyone can get caught. But nine times out of 10, I don’t think this guy has anything for me. I’ve fought better grapplers than him. I roll daily with better grapplers than him. And I don’t think his wrestling is as good as mine to begin with.”

For the latest on UFC on FOX 8, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

MMAjunkie.com Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia, MMAjunkie.com lead staff reporter John Morgan and producer Brian “Goze” Ga