Colby Covington did not hold back as he addressed his fallout with Jorge Masvidal. Covington offered his account of what transpired between them, leading to their rift. He pointed to personal tension and jealousy as key reasons for their animosity.
Covington and Masvidal were once teammates at American Top Team and close friends. They expressed strong support for each other and cornered each other for their respective fights. However, that all changed once they reached the top of the welterweight division while pushing for a title shot.
After years of animosity, Covington and Masvidal settled their differences in the octagon in the UFC 272. ‘Chaos’ earned a unanimous decision, but they still remained enemies even after the fight.
Now, Covington has shared his side of the story, claiming ‘Gamebred’ was envious of his success.
Colby Covington Explains Rift with Jorge Masvidal
Colby Covington revealed that his rift with Jorge Masvidal began after his win over Demian Maia. After the bout, ‘Chaos’ sensed that his relationship with Masvidal changed.
The former interim UFC welterweight champion said Masvidal became increasingly upset and viewed him as an enemy.
“[Masvidal] had just lost to Demain Maia the fight before. So right when I beat [Maia], that’s when he was like, ‘Oh, this [expletive], he’s not my training partner anymore. This isn’t my friend. He’s my competitor and we’re going to have to fight and cross paths,’” Covington told The Daniel Cormier Show. “I remember he said in an interview before we ever talked about it, he’s like, ‘Yo, I’d fight my own mother for money.’”
Covington stated that he expressed interest in selling a fight so that they could profit and make amends afterward. He admitted that facing Masvidal was always a possibility, but did not believe it would ruin their friendship.
“I was just like, ‘Dude, we had a plan, we talked about it for years when we were living together.’ He’s like, ‘Yo, we might have to fight one day and if it happens, then we’ll set aside our friendship, we’ll fight, and we’ll be friends afterwards,’” he said. “Let’s make money together.”
Covington Reflects on UFC 272 Clash with Masvidal
Covington also reflected on his UFC 272 main event bout against Masvidal. He claimed that ‘Gamebred’s performance surprised him because of his past experience training with him.
Covington revealed that he often sparred with Masvidal at American Top Team. He stated that he would usually dominate the former ‘BMF’ champion. ‘Chaos’ believes ‘Gamebred’ was satisfied with a moral victory.
“[Masvidal] usually always got finished by me in the gym. I’d get him in mount, I’d submit him, I’d play with him. I remember I would touch him on the forehead when I was in mount and just play with him,” Covington told The Daniel Cormier Show. “That’s the best he ever fared against me in competition, practice, in anything. He had the perfect night that night to not get finished. I feel like he felt accomplished.”
He added: “He got beat five rounds, he got 50-43 and a soda. But, he was somewhat competitive.”
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