LAS VEGAS — While there won't be a title on the line in Saturday’s UFC 272 headliner on ESPN+ pay-per-view, the personal stakes between friends turned rivals Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal couldn't be higher.
The two welterweight contenders were once each other’s biggest supporter but now are looking to settle the score of a heated rivalry that promises to offer plenty of theatrics leading up to this weekend’s event at T-Mobile Arena. While the bout isn’t likely to determine an immediate contender for reigning welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, UFC president Dana White believes it’s a matchup that will deliver big on entertainment value.
“The hatred between these two, the popularity of these two, the story line between these two—they were friends, training partners, roommates, cornered each other, literally really hung out together and were friends, and now they hate each other,” White told The Underground. “You’ve got Colby, who’s the No. 1–ranked guy in the world—if Usman did not exist, this guy would be the 170-pound world champion—going in against the No. 6–ranked Jorge Masvidal. People want to see this fight. It’s a fight fans have wanted to see for a long time, so here we go.”
Covington (16–3), a former interim UFC champion, and Masvidal (35–15), one of the most popular names on the promotion’s roster, have each lost twice against current champ and top pound-for-pound fighter Usman. Based on those previous results, it seems unlikely that the winner will get an opportunity to immediately challenge for the belt a third time, but that certainly hasn’t diminished an interest in the matchup.
“This is just a fight that needed to happen,” White said. “The fans want to see it. These guys want it, and once this is over, whoever wins this fight can decide what they think they want to do next. Do you want to move up? Do you want to move down? Do you want to go over here, or do you want to go over there? Or do you want to fight somebody else at 170? I don’t know. We'll see after Saturday.”
That said, rankings and championship belts aren't always what make fights intriguing. Some of the most memorable rivalries in MMA history haven't centered around who walked away with a gold belt wrapped around their waist, but rather who had bragging rights between two rivals.
The tension between Covington and Masvidal is about as high as any other contest in recent memory, and White said UFC staff will be on high alert throughout a fight week that is certain to provide some memorable moments, both in and out of the public eye. Thursday’s press conference and Friday’s ceremonial weigh-ins will each feature the two coming face-to-face for the world to see, and tempers are sure to flare.
“Security will keep an eye on them in the back,” White said. “Up on stage, I've got to do what I’ve got to do. We’ll have guys up there, too, you know, and the key to this week is you make sure that these two do not touch each other until Saturday.”
When the two former training partners do step into the cage, it will feature a clash in styles, with Covington’s elite wrestling and Masvidal’s vaunted striking. Oddsmakers have Covington tabbed as a sizable favorite, but Masvidal, owner of the quickest knockout in UFC history, has the ability to end a fight in rapid fashion.
Emotions will certainly be high, and the event is expected to deliver at the box office.
“Six-million-dollar gate, and I had to cut the media section in half again for billionaire row,” White said. “Yeah, it’s a big fight.”
