UFC welterweight contender Jorge Masvidal has revealed the weaknesses he believes he can exploit against bitter rival Colby Covington at UFC 272.
It’s perhaps rare for two fighters who know so much about each other and boast as much history between them as Masvidal and Covington do to collide in the Octagon. That, along with what’s at stake in the context of the 170-pound weight class, makes this weekend’s main event so intriguing.
In the third UFC pay-per-view headliner of 2022, two former roommates and teammates will share the cage in a grudge match that has everybody talking.
One thing that’s become clear, thanks to both the pre-fight insults and discussion of each other’s styles, is that both men enter the contest with the belief their history as training partners will give them an edge.
That narrative was recently evident when Masvidal discussed the weaknesses he hopes to exploit in his former friend’s game.
Masvidal: Covington Is “Fragile”
During a recent interview with ESPN’s Max Kellerman, Masvidal, who enters this Saturday’s event off the back of consecutive losses to reigning welterweight king Kamaru Usman, claimed he’s seen Covington’s fragility first hand.
That, as well as a power edge over the former interim titleholder, is something “Gamebred” plans to use to his advantage inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on March 5.
“(I can exploit) his heart, and he’s fragile. I know him. I have, just like he has things to say about me and math on me, I know him,” said Masvidal. “I remember the times that I hit him a little bit too hard in the body—he took his gloves off and had to walk out of the cage. He would tell trainers, ‘Ah, we don’t have to spar, me and Masvidal. We could wrestle all the time, but we don’t have to spar.’
“It shows on his record. He doesn’t hurt anybody. He doesn’t have any power,” added Masvidal. “I know what I have to do; just be a dog, be a dog that I’ve always been, and just get in front of his face, and let him have it.”
While there may be the absence of a championship on the line this Saturday, the animosity between the two headliners more than makes up for it. With a place in title contention and bragging rights on the line, UFC 272’s main event promises to be a must-see affair.
Who do you think will win UFC 272’s blockbuster grudge match, Jorge Masvidal or Colby Covington?
