Masvidal: Fighting Woodley akin to LeBron playing against Wade

Nobody likes to fight their friends, but Jorge Masvidal is willing to make an exception for championship gold.

During a recent appearance on "Submission Radio," Masvidal addressed the possibility of fighting UFC welterweight titleholder Tyron Woodley. The two trained together for years as members of the American Top Team camp and could collide in the future, with Masvidal having won three straight fights.

Should that bout materialize, Masvidal compares the situation to former Miami Heat stars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade continuing to compete against each other after winning two NBA championships together in South Beach.

"I'm LeBron and he's Dwyane Wade. We split up teams, we meet in the Finals," Masvidal said, according to Anton Tabuena of Bloody Elbow. "We're going to sit out because we were teammates at one point? Hell no. I'm here to get this money. I've got kids to feed."

That situation wouldn't be so different from the way Woodley won the title in the first place. Last July, "The Chosen One" knocked out ATT member Robbie Lawler to take his belt, though both men downplayed their working relationship in the leadup to the bout.

Masvidal and Woodley have a closer connection, but it appears they're both prepared to throw down when the time comes.

"No (issues fighting). Not on my end, or at Tyron Woodley's end," Masvidal said on "UFC Tonight," according to Tabuena. "We're both good friends. I get along just fine with Woodley. He's actually showed me a lot (of) things in the past, and I've worked with him in the past training to help him get ready to fight. There's no hard feelings if me and him had to scrap."