MIAMI – Amid an ongoing court case in which he filed claims of brain injury, Colby Covington is in line for a UFC title shot against welterweight champion Leon Edwards.
The math on that does not add up to UFC contender Jorge Masvidal, the defendant who currently faces felony charges for an alleged attack on Covington outside of a Miami steakhouse in March 2022.
“I currently have three felonies because this b*tch Colby says I gave him a brain injury, so how the f*ck is he going to fight for any title, is what I want to know,” Masvidal told reporters including MMA Junkie at a UFC 287 pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “The UFC is going to get sued if that guy goes in there and something like that happens. Because supposedly, allegedly because I didn’t do sh*t, he says I gave him a brain injury. I didn’t do sh*t to him.”
Although Covington has not competed since the alleged incident, UFC president Dana White has repeatedly designated him next in line for a title shot. That hasn’t stopped fans from pondering if the winner of Saturday’s UFC 287 co-main event between Masvidal (35-16 MMA, 12-9 UFC) and Gilbert Burns (21-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC) could steal that spot.
In the fight game, self-promotion becomes an essential negotiating tool. So, despite a court-mandated restraining order, Masvidal wouldn’t be surprised if Covington still shows up at Kaseya Center to capture the spotlight.
“Of course, he’s an attention-seeking-ass whore,” Masvidal said. “He’s going to be there. From 100 feet away and 20 security guards, he’s going to be saying all types of crazy-ass sh*t, that he’s the king of this and that. He’s only the king of calling cops and s*cking c*ck.”
“… I don’t give a flying f*ck. All I know is he has a restraining order on me. I have to stay 100 feet away from this individual. I don’t even know why he would even put such a thing on me, because I’m just the coolest guy. My mind is still blown as to why he has a restraining order on me and then he’s claiming he’s the kind of I don’t know what. Whatever.”
Masvidal, 38, faces two felony charges: aggravated battery and criminal mischief. A third felony of committing a felony while wearing a mask has been dropped by the court. Masvidal has pleaded not guilty. His next court hearing is a pre-trial date setting May 10 in Miami-Dade County (Fla.) court.
Saam Zangeneh, the defense attorney for Masvidal, expressed optimism at the case’s most recent hearing on Feb. 15 that a deal with the state attorney’s office could happen before legal proceedings reach trial.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 287.
Jorge Masvidal scratches head at Colby Covington’s UFC title shot amidst legal claim of brain injury