LAS VEGAS – UFC President Dana White has promoted 1000’s of fights since taking on in 2001, however there’s simply one thing totally different about this, a heated grudge match between Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal. The 2 former roommates and former greatest mates will struggle in the primary occasion of UFC 272 on the T-Cellular Area. Covington and Masvidal cannot stand one another proper now. Covington believes that Masvidal was jealous of his success and verbally stabbed him within the again. Masvidal says Covington is a faux and hard-core Masvidal coach for a price.
“I do not know if there was somebody like this the place the fellows have been really teammates, roommates, mates, and teammates,” White mentioned Thursday on the earlier press convention. “These guys go method again. And I do not know if there was one like this. Not even shut.”
This struggle is actually not about rating or titles. It is about delight and bragging rights. However Covington and Masvidal are elite fighters and are each multiple-time contenders for the UFC middleweight title. ESPN ranked Covington at quantity 4 at welterweight and Masvidal at quantity ten.
Covington (16-3) is near a detailed unanimous loss for welterweight champ Kamaru Usman, present ESPN king for pound for pound, at UFC 268. The California native, who lives and trains in Florida, has received eight of his final 10 fights, however dropped two of his three matches. Previous – each for Othman. Covington, 34, has dominant wins over two former teammates already: Tyrone Woodley and Robbie Lawler.
Masvidal (35-15) misplaced to Usman in his earlier two matches, each title fights. Most not too long ago, Usman ousted Masvidal from UFC 261 in April 2023. Masvidal, a Miami native, rose to stardom with wonderful finishes on Darren Until, Ben Askren, and Nate Diaz in 2019. —- AA title. Masvidal, 37, has been knowledgeable fighter since 2003 and began his profession preventing within the streets and backyards.
Within the co-main occasion, former light-weight champion Rafael dos Anjos will face Renato Moikano in a 160-pound bout. Moikano took up the struggle at 4 days’ discover after Rafael Viziev withdrew as a result of COVID-19. Dos Anjos (30-13) has not fought since his cut up determination win over Paul Felder in November 2020. Moikano (16-4-1) has received back-to-back instances, most not too long ago ending within the second spherical over Alexander Hernandez at UFC 271 on February 12.
Additionally on the cardboard, Edson Barboza meets Bryce Mitchell in the primary featherweight struggle, Kevin Holland drops welterweight to tackle Alex Oliveira and Marina Rodriguez faces Yan Xiaonan within the girls’s strawweight title competitors.
Observe together with Brett Okamoto, Mark Raimondi and Jeff Waggenheim for a recap or watch the fights reside on ESPN + PPV.
Preventing in progress
will come later:
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common weight: Colby Covington (16-3, 11-3 UFC, -310) vs Jorge Masvidal (35-15, 12-8 UFC, +250)
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Light-weight: Rafael dos Anjos (30-13, 19-11 UFC, -180) vs. Renato Moikano (16-4-1, 8-4 UFC, +155)
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Featherweight for males: Edson Barbosa (22-10, 16-10 UFC) vs. Bryce Mitchell (14-1, 5-0 UFC)
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common weight: Kevin Holland (21-7 1 NC, 8-4 1 NC UFC, -340) vs Alex Oliveira (22-11-2 2 NC, 11-9 1 NC UFC, +270)
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heavy weight: Sergey Spivak (13-3, 4-3 UFC, -190) vs. Greg Hardy (7-4 1 NC, 4-4 1 NC UFC, +160)
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Light-weight: Jalen Turner (11-5, 4-2 UFC, -155) vs. Jimmy Mullarkey (14-4, 2-2 UFC, +130)
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straw weight: Marina Rodriguez (15-1-2, 5-1-2 UFC, -270) vs Yan Xiaonan (13-2, 6-1 UFC, +220)
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Gentle Heavyweight: Nikolai Negomeriano (11-1, 2-1 UFC, +120) vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu (9-2, 3-2 UFC, -140)
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Girls’s flyweight: Marina Moroz (10-3, 5-3 UFC, +155) vs. Maria Agapova (10-2, 2-1 UFC, -180)
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Featherweight for males: Brian Kelleher (24-12, 8-5 UFC, +550) vs Omar Nurmagomedov (13-0, 1-0 UFC, -800)
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Fly weight for males: Tim Elliott (18-12-1, 6-10 UFC, +190) vs Tajir Ulanbekov (14-1, 2-0 UFC, -230)
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Light-weight: Defont Smith (11-3, 3-2 UFC, -150) vs. Ludovitt Cline (17-4, 1-2 UFC, -125)