Getty Jorge Masvidal looks on during UFC 239 in 2019.
MMA superstar Jorge Masvidal will return to action in March, according to a recent report from ESPN.
“Gamebred” will look to rebound from his KO loss to welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in April 2021 when he takes on No. 1-ranked welterweight Colby Covington.
“The grudge match we’ve all been waiting for,” the outlet reported on January 11, 2021. “Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal will headline UFC 272 on March 5, UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell told @bokamotoESPN. Contracts have not been signed, but the bout is nearly finalized.”
GettyUFC’s Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal
Masvidal and Covington are bitter enemies who were once training partners and good friends. They’ve been at odds for a few years at this point, which makes this fight announcement exciting for fight fans. BT Sport also shared several pictures of Gamebred and “Chaos” together, back when they were in each other’s good graces. See the photos below via the Twitter embed:
Friends turned enemies 👀
From the build-up to fight week, @ColbyCovMMA 🆚 @GamebredFighter is going to be crazy 🤩
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Masvidal Hinted That the UFC Was Looking to Book the Fight for Sooner Rather Than Later
Masvidal and Covington have shown interest in competing against the other, which both men claiming that the other has been ducking them. And on January 7, 2022, Gamebred took to Twitter to share that the promotion was trying to book the fight, saying that the UFC has tried four times to no avail.
“They gonna call you and hopefully the 4th time is a charm you f****** coward,” Masvidal tweeted. “Don’t p**** out now @ColbyCovMMA.”
Covington Spoke in November 2021 About Fighting Masvidal
But on Chaos’ end, he’s also publicly challenged Masvidal several times. For example, after he lost to Usman at UFC 268 in November 2021, he spoke at the post-fight presser about wanting to fight Masvidal next. At that time Gamebred was scheduled to fight Leon Edwards at UFC 269 on December 11, 2021, however Masvidal pulled out of the fight a few weeks before the match.
Covington said as per Sportskeeda.com:
I will see him again. I am not done with him. I’ll fight whoever it takes to get back there. I think the heated rivalry with me and my old roommate ‘Street Judas’ Masvidal. He should probably pull out of that fight with Leon Scott and we should just run it first quarter of the first part of the year. Let’s do it, that’s a heated rivalry. He’s talked so much s*** in the media and said so many things about me. Look at what happened when he fought Marty, he got dusted… If he goes ahead with that Leon Scott fight, then Hunter Campbell I just pray to you, please don’t cut him after that third loss in a row. Save him around, let me be the one that ends his career.
From a rankings standpoint, the match makes sense as well. Covington is ranked No. 1 in the welterweight division according to the official UFC rankings, and Masvidal sits at No. 6. Both men are also coming off losses to Usman.
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Jorge Masvidal’s Next UFC Fight & Opponent Announced