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UFC analyst and fighter Anthony Smith recently gave his thoughts on what led to Colby Covington’s defeat of Jorge Masvidal earlier month.
Smith, the No. 5-ranked UFC light heavyweight, was recently featured on former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping’s “Believe You Me” podcast, and he gave his thoughts on Masvidal’s clash with Covington.
“Gamebred” took on Covington during the UFC 272 main card on March 5, and Covington won handily, dominating most of the action and winning via unanimous decision. The fight was billed as a battle between best friends turned ruthless enemies, and Smith believes that was a major factor in Masvidal’s performance.
“I could tell all week that there was something off,” Smith said via MMA News. “But I thought that it was just a big fight, he hates him or whatever. But there was something off all week and I couldn’t put my finger on it. So I didn’t talk about it on the pre-fight show all week long because I couldn’t really figure out what it was.
“But I figured it out afterwards after seeing him fight. He talked about being flat, but I think he was so mentally and emotionally exhausted from his absolute hate and rage. That kind of anger and hate, even if you’re holding it in and you’re not letting it come out in your fight style, that’s so much stress.
“And it’s exhausting, it’s mentally and emotionally exhausting, and that’s always gonna kinda transfer to your fight style and to your own conditioning. I think he hated him too much.”
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith Also Questioned Masvidal’s Performance
“Lionheart” isn’t the only analyst to question Masvidal’s fight-night approach. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said during a recent episode of “First Take” that he didn’t “understand” how Gamebred could fall flat, and how he wasn’t able to fend off “Chaos'” wrestling more effectively.
Smith said, as transcribed by MMA Junkie:
I’m a huge, huge Masvidal fan. I think he’s great for the sport because he’s got knockout power in both punches, he can obviously use that knee very well and he has improved his wrestling. But Colby Covington showed that he’s on a different level from a wrestling standpoint, and from a stamina standpoint.
One of the things that I paid attention to coming into this fight is something that Colby Covington said. Because he knew him and they were former best friends and roommates turned enemies, Covington said, ‘Masvidal trains for his fights; I live this.’ What he was talking about is he is always in shape. He’s never out of shape. He’s renowned for his condition and the pressure he’s able to apply and how he never lets up because he keeps on coming.
I saw Masvidal gutsy and survive the five rounds, but while he was waving Covington on to come on, ‘Let’s get some more.’ He was literally using two security personnel to lean on because that’s how exhausted he was. Covington looked like he was just starting. He was that energized. The guy is in phenomenal shape, he’s an outstanding wrestler and Masvidal admitted that his wrestling was flat.
How was it flat coming into this fight knowing this guy as well as you know him and knowing what he was going to try to do to you, and how much you supposedly hate him? How you were not ready for a wrestling match, I don’t understand. It’s inexplicable.
Masvidal Confirmed That He Will ‘Be Back’
Gamebred confirmed he will “be back” inside the Octagon. Taking to Instagram a day after his UFC 272 defeat, Masvidal wrote: “I will be back far from over!”
He also shared a photo of himself punching Covington in the face.
Masvidal has fallen on hard times since his “BMF” effort in November 2019 at UFC 244. He’s lost three fights in a row, two to reigning welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and Covington.
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