UFC welterweights Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington have one of the biggest rivalries in combat sports history.
Once close friends and training partners who quickly turned bitter enemies. Inside the cage it was Covington that got the better of Masvidal but it may have been Masvidal getting the better of Covington at a Miami restaurant weeks after the loss to ‘Chaos.’ The build up to the bout was particularly personal with Covington mentioning members of Masvidal’s family. So personal that it allegedly spilled outside of the cage.
The restaurant incident left Masvidal charged with aggravated battery resulting in great bodily harm and one count of criminal mischief. In a court filing, Covington claimed to have suffered a brain injury during the alleged assault leaving Masvidal questioning how Covington can fight for a world title with a brain injury.
UFC president Dana White has stated that Covington will get the next title shot against champion Leon Edwards. Masvidal wants to deliver a performance against No. 5 ranked Gilbert Burns in the UFC 287 co-main event on Saturday that will change White’s mind.
“I wouldn’t be jumping over Colby because he’s a crotch sniffer. If we’re talking about fighting, that guy doesn’t fight. He’s just sniffing crotches as hard as he can,” Masvidal said of Covington while speaking with the Sporting News.
“More than anything, he’s claiming that he has a brain injury, so now all of a sudden you could fight. I have three felonies because this guy’s saying that I allegedly did this and I allegedly did that and he has a brain injury off of it, but you can go fight for a world title if you’ve got a brain injury?”
“I don’t know why exactly he did that (White announcing that Covington was getting the next title shot), but I also know that maybe he’s setting up the stage real high for me. He wants me to go in there and just smash a record on Gilbert’s face so there’s like no question about it. Masvidal is fighting for this belt and that’s the only way around it.”
Sean O’Malley gives his pick for Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya rematch
Jorge Masvidal on Colby Covington fighting for the title: ‘I thought he had a brain injury’
