If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Ahead of Thursday’s Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC 272) pre-fight press conference, Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal did not receive the memo.
By now, surely everyone and their dog that’s been following mixed martial arts (MMA) know that Covington and Masvidal became bitter rivals after years of training and living together as teammates at American Top Team (ATT) in Florida. Covington has since expressed his feelings openly no matter the person or topic… including his old coaches.
“He brought that drug addict Mike Brown with him?” Covington asked in response to a question for Masvidal at the presser. “The guy that did GHB before all his fights? He fought Rahni Yahya on GHB among all the other steroids he did in his career. You brought that addict with you, Jorge? Did you bring that druggie?
“Deadbeat f—king coaches. I’ve got the best coaches in the world. Thank god for Daniel Valverde, Cesar Carneiro, Charlie Weis, Jonathan Lopez, the best coaches in the world — not guys who do drugs and GHB like his coaches.”
Covington remains in Florida when it comes to his training, he just now finds himself calling MMA Masters in Hialeah his home base.
As for Covington’s claims towards former coach and UFC Featherweight Mike Brown, GHB (Gamma Hydroxybutyrate), commonly known as “roofies,” according to Drugs.com is; “commonly referred to as a ‘club drug’ or ‘date rape’ drug. GHB is abused by teens and young adults at bars, parties, clubs, and ‘raves’ (all-night dance parties), and is often placed in alcoholic beverages. Euphoria, increased sex drive, and tranquility are reported positive effects of GHB abuse.” How exactly would that help with physical activities and performance? Per GHBProject.org; “a study in Japan said that taking GHB and going to sleep puts one in a deep state of sleep — the only time the body makes growth hormone — and thus will cause an increase in growth hormone production. It does not cause an ongoing ‘elevation’ in growth hormone, but just a tiny, temporary spike. So it really didn’t work as anabolic.”
Brown never tested positive for any substances throughout his 35-fight MMA career from 2001 to 2013
In response, Masvidal reminded Covington how he was kicked out of the gym. Thus prompting a retort from “Chaos.”
“They kicked you out too, dumbf—k and you went begging back,” Covington said. “I didn’t, I found a better place. You mean American ‘Tap’ Team like you’re gonna be doing on Sat. night? I’m the best fighter to ever come out of that f—king worthless [gym].”
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 272 fight card on fight night, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
For more news and notes on UFC 272 be sure to visit our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated, revised, and finalized “Covington vs. Masvidal” fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.