Who is really from Miami? Is Masvidal a socialist? Who owes who money? Who will Trump call after the fight?
Do you know how a bill becomes a law?
Seriously, this was asked.
MORE: UFC 272 fight date, time, odds, PPV price, card & location for Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal
Covington appeared performative in his approach to needling at Masvidal while the Cuban seemed sincere in his threats to separate his former friend’s body from his spirit. The fans in attendance were divided between the two polarizing fighters and added to the chaotic atmosphere by cheering on the colorful language. Security was carefully placed between them in the event things turned physical.
And UFC President Dana White was in the middle of it all.
“I’m having fun,” White said during the chaos.
Of course he was, because the primary instigator in this feud has been the UFC.
In case you haven’t heard, former friends and sparring partners Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal really don’t like each other. And not in some kind of manufactured rivalry to generate interest in their UFC 272 main event showdown. This is real beef and the only way it can be settled is in a fight.
A day earlier, Covington and Masvidal held court in front of journalists during UFC’s media day and offered their perspectives on the feud, which will serve as the first non-title headliner featuring two fighters coming off losses since Anderson Silva and Nick Diaz met at UFC 183 in 2015. The fight also joins an exclusive list of rare non-title fights that have headlined a PPV which include Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz 1 & 2, Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem, and Dustin Poirier’s second and third fights with McGregor.
The reason why is obvious. Bad blood sells, and these two have made a name for themselves in vastly different ways. Masvidal’s ascent has been through straight-up violence in 2019 that started with a vicious knockout of Darren Till — along with the now-infamous “three-piece with a soda” altercation backstage with Leon Edwards – a five-second knockout of Ben Askren and beating down Nate Diaz for the fictional BMF championship. Covington’s rise has been courtesy of his controversial persona that comes complete with a MAGA hat and divisive rhetoric that embraces xenophobia, a little racism, and a lot of crossing the line with his insults.
MORE: UFC 272: How a Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington fight came to be
Before their respective explosions in popularity, Masvidal and Covington were close. The duo trained together with dreams of making money and holding championship gold. It all came crashing down in what felt like an instant and now they will look to render the other unconscious in the main event of a UFC PPV.
Fingers have been pointed at both fighters as to why these former roommates have had such a drastic falling-out. But the reality is that the UFC is primarily at fault for how this friendship dissolved. If it wasn’t for how the promotion handled these two fighters, they —Covington specifically — wouldn’t be in this position to begin with.
Here’s why.
Although the perspectives regarding how their friendship became a blood feud are different, there’s a common thread that has remained intact, which led to Covington’s change in persona.
According to American Top Team’s Dan Lambert in an interview with ESPN, following Covington’s decision 2017 victory over Dong Hyun Kim in Singapore, he was told that the fighter’s contract wouldn’t be renewed after his next fight.
“(UFC Senior Vice President of Talent Relations Sean Shelby) said that he’s got one fight left on his contract and he’s beaten up guys we want to promote. Fans aren’t getting into him so if you want to start looking for something else for him to do after his next fight, go ahead because we’re not going to re-sign him,” Lambert said.
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The ATT coach said he informed Covington and it was a wake-up call for the former NCAA wrestler, who adopted a brazen persona for his next fight with Demian Maia in Brazil later that year. Following the victory, Covington verbally assaulted Brazilians by calling them “filthy animals” and their home country a “dump.” The post-fight speech made headlines and saw Covington get his contract renewed along with an interim welterweight title fight against Rafael dos Anjos that took take place in the summer of 2018.
But Covington doesn’t remember it the way Lambert did, saying he was unaware of the UFC’s position. He knew he needed to change something to generate interest, despite riding an impressive winning streak.
“(Dan Lambert) never told me going into my fight with Damien Maia that I need to change something because the UFC was gonna cut me,” Covington said. “(The UFC) said, no matter what, going into that fight they told Dan behind closed doors that ‘Hey, we have no use for Colby, he’s not entertaining, he doesn’t draw tickets. No matter what he does in the fight with Damien Maia, we’re not going to re-sign him.’”
Covington doesn’t credit Lambert for the change but instead suggests that he took it upon himself to give his character an edge.
“I went out there and took my destiny into my own hands. And I created something bigger than life.”
And the UFC became his enabler.
MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 272 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+
But if a fighter’s value is based on performance, shouldn’t the persona be the cherry on top that helps sell the fight? And if you’re winning, isn’t the promoter’s job to promote? While it is understandable that a promoter would want fighters to market themselves to a degree, suggesting that a fighter could be released if they don’t find a way to promote themselves better, regardless of their winning streak, is problematic.
Why? Because it suggests that being a good fighter isn’t good enough. Interestingly enough, Covington was granted an interim welterweight title opportunity in his very next fight. And that’s not because of his performance against Maia, it’s because of what he said. Covington went from not having his contract renewed to getting a chance at UFC gold primarily off of having a gimmick with a foundation rooted in hate speech.
And that’s wrong.
The UFC could have publicly reprimanded Covington for this kind of behavior. But that would also mean they don’t agree with it when, in fact, White and Covington share almost similar perspectives. That makes it complicated.
For the record, Dana White says he has no knowledge of this conversation between Lambert and Shelby. But it’s clear that he’s happy with what Covington has become.
MORE: Colby Covington’s xenophobia and bigotry are not OK, even if you think it’s an act
It’s the reason why Dana White has suggested that Conor McGregor could remain in the hunt for a lightweight title opportunity despite not having a win in the division in five years. He’s no longer a championship-caliber fighter but remains an attraction. And, clearly, being an attraction is more valuable than winning fights these days.
Covington’s change in persona created an avalanche that he can’t stop now. He’s immersed in the gimmick, even if he doesn’t believe everything that comes out of his mouth. But he has to keep pushing the envelope to keep fan interest. As long as he finds himself in profitable positions, why would he stop? And that subsequently led to a friendship being destroyed.
Covington made the conscious decision to light a match and torch anything that got in the way of his pending success. If controversy truly sells, Covington was going to push that theory as far as he possibly could. Fortunately for him, it worked. Unfortunately for those around him, it dissolved relationships as Covington managed to offend those around him with his self-serving tactics.
Masvidal was still there early in the change, keenly aware that Covington’s persona was for show. But there came a time when the gimmick and the real person overlapped, and that’s where the problems began. Once Masvidal couldn’t figure out where the guy he knew began and this new version ended, things fell apart.
“The only thing sh—ier than his current act is his real self,” Masvidal said on Wednesday when addressing Covington’s MAGA gimmick. “It’s just a little more glorified for the TV. … He just wanted to tie his name to something that was going up, whether people loved him or hated him. He wanted to attach his name to (Trump) so he could get some fame. The guy is a complete chameleon.”
A dispute over money owed by Covington to a striking coach that Masvidal introduced him to sparked the flame that burned down their friendship. Covington’s antics since then have only fanned the flames. And now there’s a four-alarm blaze that can only be extinguished by leather being exchanged inside of an eight-sided cage.
To be clear: Covington and Masvidal have both had a hand in the demise of their relationship. But the UFC put the battery in Covington’s back to find a financial upside for his antics. And the promotion hasn’t treated Masvidal as anything less than a superstar despite a relatively pedestrian 12-8 record in the UFC.
But did Covington’s style inside the Octagon change? Not really. He’s still a wrestler with solid striking and exceptional cardio. His fights didn’t get any more exciting than they were before. But attaching a divisive persona that rubs people the wrong way has garnered more interest in his fights. And it certainly helps that some of his views fall in line with UFC President Dana White. Both are ardent supporters of former President Donald Trump, although Covington ratchets his affinity up several nauseating notches to a degree that a professional wrestler would find over the top.
Masvidal is also a Trump supporter so Covington’s political views didn’t bother him. However, it was when his former teammate began dragging his family into the dispute that Masvidal decided that something had to be done.
“This is as close to personal as it gets,” Masvidal said. “Not only do I fight for a living and get to punch people in the face, but every once in a while I get to punch somebody in the face that I really don’t like.
“For many reasons, I want to hurt this guy like I’ve never hurt anyone before. He’s talking about my kids. (When you talk about) kids, religion and people’s wives, I think that’s beneath us. We don’t need to do that. If you want to talk about me, my speed, or my reflexes, that’s fine. But what do my kids have to do with it?”
Everything. It’s the reason why this fight is happening in the first place. With the endorsement of the UFC, nothing is off-limits. As long as it garners a headline, it’s fair game. And Covington learned that this gimmick absolutely cannot afford to have an off switch. And if that means becoming a habitual line-stepper with a heavy wallet and no friends, so be it.
“It’s just another fight to me,” Covington said. “I’m not an ‘Ultimate Feelings Champion,’ I’m an Ultimate Fighting Champion so there will be no feelings involved.”
Maybe not for Covington, but Masvidal certainly feels a way about his opponent, no matter what he says about the situation.
What made these two the UFC stars they are today is exactly what tore them apart. Four years ago they were chasing a dream. The UFC asked how far would they go to achieve that dream. Covington decided that there wouldn’t be any such thing as a bridge too far and the promotion supported his pursuit, no matter who he hurt along the way. Masvidal became a star in his own right but lost a friend in the process.
Maybe these two were always destined to fight. But there is no denying that the UFC expedited the process and will gain the most from the bloodshed on March 5.
When is UFC 272: Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal?
Date: Saturday, March 5 Start time: 6 p. m. ET Prelims: 8 p. m. ET Main card (PPV): 10 p. m. ET Main event: 12:15 a. m. ET (approx. )
UFC 272: Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal will take place Saturday, March 5, with the early prelims kicking off the event at 6 p.m. ET. The prelims will begin at 8 p.m. ET and the main card will start at 10 p.m. ET. Covington and Masvidal should enter the Octagon around midnight ET, depending on the length of the undercard bouts.
How to watch UFC 272: Covington vs. Masvidal
TV channels: ESPN, ESPN Deportes Live stream: ESPN+
The main card for UFC 272 is available in the U.S. on the ESPN+ subscription streaming service for a pay-per-view cost. That portion of the event begins at 10 p.m. ET.
Earlier fights are viewable live on ESPN, the WatchESPN app and, for the early prelims, on UFC Fight Pass.
In Canada, the main card pay-per-view is available on Bell, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, Eastlink and UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass.
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