UFC president Dana White can see why oddsmakers are favoring Colby Covington over Jorge Masvidal.
Covington (16-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) meets Masvidal (35-15 MMA, 12-8 UFC) at March’s UFC 272 in what is being dubbed as one of the biggest grudge matches in the promotion’s history.
Both men have recently lost twice to UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, but Covington has arguably pushed Usman more than any other fighter ever has. Although Covington failed in his bid to become champion on two occasions, White lauded him for his recent performances and isn’t surprised that he’s the betting favorite over Masvidal.
“It doesn’t because that kid’s looked so good,” White told Yahoo Sports. “If Kamaru Usman did not exist, Colby Covington would probably be the champion.”
According to Tipico Sportsbook, Covington is a -330 favorite, meaning a $330 bet on “Chaos” would yield $100 in return. Masvidal, meanwhile, is a +260 underdog, meaning a $100 bet on “Gamebred” would bring $260 in return.
Covington has not minced his words towards his former best friend-turned enemy, and with the intensity of their rivalry and Masvidal’s proven drawing power, their fight has landed a pay-per-view main event slot despite being a non-title fight.
Although White has had his issues with Covington in the past, he can’t deny that the former interim champ puts his money where his mouth is.
“People don’t like Colby, but let me tell you what, Colby shows up to fight, man,” White added. “He shows up to fight, and these two hate each other so bad it can’t – it’s going to be a great fight.”
He continued, “Before the Usman-Covington fight was even made, the second one, all I kept talking about is that the first one was one of the best fights I’ve ever seen. If you’ve got a guy that goes out and talks a lot of trash and then goes in and stinks the place up, there’s nothing worse than that. There’s nothing worse than a talker that doesn’t deliver. That is not Colby Covington.”
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