UFC 272 fight card primer: Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal
by Kristen King · Bloody ElbowThe main event of UFC 272 will feature a welterweight non-title fight between Colby Covington (16-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) and Jorge Masvidal (35-15 MMA, 12-8 UFC). UFC 272: Covington vs. Masvidal airs live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada this Saturday, March 5th. The main card will start with a fight time of 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT, with the ESPN/ESPN+ prelims beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT and the early prelims kicking off at 6:00 p.m. ET/3:00 p.m. PT.
How do these two stack up?
Covington: 34 years old | 5’11” | 72” reach
Masvidal: 37 years old | 5’11” | 74” reach
What have these two done recently?
Covington: L - Kamaru Usman (DEC) | W - Tyron Woodley (TKO) | L - Kamaru Usman (TKO)
Masvidal: L - Kamaru Usman (KO) | L - Kamaru Usman (DEC) | W - Nate Diaz (TKO)
How did these two get here?
Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal were once close friends and teammates under the American Top Team (ATT) roof in South Florida. That relationship took a dramatic turn in recent years; however, the catalyst for how it did depends on who you ask. Reasons such as stiffing a coach on payment, changing personalities and an overwhelming sense of jealousy have all been given, but whatever the real reason is, it is clear these two do not like each other.
A fifth-round technical knockout loss to Kamaru Usman combined with a frayed relationship with ATT saw Covington change course in his professional career. ‘Chaos’ left the gym and joined MMA Masters, where he has been for about two years now. After failing to claim the welterweight championship from the ’Nigerian Nightmare’, Covington returned nearly a year later at UFC Vegas 11 and stopped Tyron Woodley. He used his time on the microphone to request a rematch with Usman, which was something he did not get immediately. When Usman and Covington finally met again, the reigning champion held onto his belt and gave his bitter rival another loss.
Masvidal had one of the best years of his career in 2019, going 3-0 with finishes of Darren Till, Ben Askren and Nate Diaz. Now the proud owner of the ‘Baddest Motherf—er” (BMF) belt, ‘Gamebred’ was given the opportunity to challenge Usman for real gold after his original opponent — Gilbert Burns — tested positive for COVID-19 days before his next defense at UFC 251 on Fight Island. He lost a unanimous decision to Usman, but that would not be the last time these two shared the Octagon. An immediate rematch was made for UFC 261, where a much more definitive ending happened. Usman slept Masvidal in the second round, marking the first time the 37-year-old was finished under the UFC banner. Like Covington, Masvidal was now 0-2 against the champion, and a third fight seemed unlikely.
Why should you care?
There has been some doubt about the authenticity of this rivalry, but if you are still curious to see how a fight between these two looks like after years of hostility and messiness, tune in.