Colby Covington doesn’t believe former friend-turned-rival Jorge Masvidal will achieve any more success in the UFC after their five-round fight in March 2022.
In an interview with Michael Bisping, Covington said his win over Masvidal changed his rival’s fighting career and his personal life.
“Jorge [Masvidal] is a broken man. He’s not the same fighter after I destroyed him, beat him 50-44 with a soda. Obviously he’s had an emotional letdown,” Covington said. “His life is unravelling…You could tell he’s just not the same person.”
Masvidal is scheduled to face Gilbert Burns on April 8 in Miami, Florida at UFC 287. After losing three-straight bouts, Masvidal is looking to turn things around with the goal of fighting for the UFC welterweight title in the future.
Colby Covington Doesn’t Believe in a Jorge Masvidal Turnaround
Covington, a 35-year-old, two-time title challenger, believes Masvidal’s recent struggles will continue.
“I just see [Gilbert Burns] getting an easy win,” Covington said. “Gilbert’s a nice guy, family guy. He’s not Colby Covington, so he’s not going to get a title shot off of beating Street Judas.”
The No. 2 ranked welterweight last fought at UFC 272, where he defeated Masvidal by unanimous decision. At UFC 286, “Chaos” was an alternate for the welterweight title fight between Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman.
If when he didn’t get the chance to fight, Covington was in attendance at the O2 Arena where Edwards successfully defended the welterweight throne. He believes he should be the next title challenger against the first Jamaican-born UFC champion.
The 170-pounder has been involved in a legal matter with Masvidal, stemming from a physical altercation last year in Miami. Masvidal believes he’ll get another shot to fight Covington before he retires from mixed martial arts.
The rivalry between the two former friends doesn’t seem to have an end.