Watch Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal full fight for free ahead of UFC 296 (Video)
By Anwesha Nag
Once inseparable best friends and roommates, Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal faced each other at UFC 272 in one of the biggest grudge matches in MMA history.
The rare non-championship UFC pay-per-view card headliner took place on March 5, 2023, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. It saw both the fighters enter the octagon losing a title fight to the then welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman.
Covington outpointed Masvidal in the contest and clinched a unanimous decision win, thanks to his famed cardio and impressive all-American wrestling skills.
Watch the full fight for free below:
Covington, who hasn't fought since then, will be challenging the reigning 170 lbs. champion Leon Edwards for the gold at UFC 296.
How did Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal went from bestfriends to bitter rivals?
Rising the ranks of the UFC together, Covington and Masvidal were often spotted in each other's corner during fights and training together at American Top Team.
The famous MMA gym in Coconut Creek, Florida recruited a 23-year-old Covington as a rookie wrestler in NCAA Division I, back when Masvidal was around 30 fights and a dozen promotions dep into his professional MMA career.
The pair met at the gym, became close friends, and eventually moved in together after Covington was signed by the UFC. Masvidal was in his corner when Covington fought for the interim title earned on the back of a career-saving post-fight interview after beating Demian Maia. However, their friendship soon soured over accusations of betrayal and treachery on both sides.
Masvidal alleged that Covington did not pay their coach his due cut from the fight purse - a dispute that resulted in Covington getting kicked out of the gym for good. However, Covington's side of the story is that his former friend was jealous to see him with a UFC belt.
Even after they fought it out inside the octagon, their rivalry continued to a court case when Masvidal allegedly attacked Covington outside of a Miami steakhouse on March 21, 2022, and broke his tooth and watch, among other things. Masvidal recently pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor battery charge stemming from the case.
The two other felony charges he was facing, one for aggravated battery and another for criminal mischief - were dropped in a plea deal. He was sentenced to time served - the several hours he spent in jail as the investigation and the case went on - and court costs.
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