The bad blood was broadcasted for the world to see between UFC welterweights Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington during a recent interview with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.
Covington and Masvidal are set to face off in the main event of UFC 272 coming up on March 5. Both men are looking to get back in the welterweight title picture with a win, along with lifelong bragging rights between two former friends turned bitter rivals.
The highly-anticipated fight between Masvidal and Covington is just days away, and the pre-fight promotion is in full swing ahead of fight week. The two welterweight brawlers came face-to-face virtually in an explosive interview with Smith, in which Smith appeared without any time to intervene.
A clip from the interview was posted to ESPN MMA’s YouTube and social channels. You can watch it below.
Watch Jorge Masvidal And Colby Covington Come To Verbal Blows During Interview
Masvidal and Covington are both coming off of UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. In between losses to Usman, Covington earned a dominant win over former champion Tyron Woodley in late 2020.
Masvidal was originally supposed to face Leon Edwards at UFC 269 before suffering an injury. That’s when the UFC booked the fight with Covington, which is arguably a bigger grudge match.
A massive storyline in this rivalry stems from Masvidal and Covington’s time as training partners at American Top Team. Covington parted ways with the gym after tensions rose between Covington and Masvidal became too much to handle for the gym ownership and coaches.
Covington now trains at MMA Masters in south Florida.
The UFC 272 fight week is expected to have plenty of heated moments, including during the pre-fight press conference and media day obligations. Fans can expect anything to happen between these bitter rivals.
You can catch the full interview between Covington and Masvidal on ESPN+’s Stephen A’s World on March 1.
What is your prediction for Jorge Masvidal vs. Colby Covington?