Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
While Dustin Poirier crumbled under the dominating wrestling of Khabib Nurmagomedov, there’s no denying he’s still one of the baddest motherf**kers in the UFC. So of course with the promotion making the ‘BMF belt’ a real thing for the UFC 244 fight Between Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal, it’s only natural people would ask him if he had his eye on it.
But like a boss, Poirier ain’t interested. Why? Because that belt belongs to his homie Jorge Masvidal.
”Jorge is a buddy of mine,” a stitched up Poirier said at the UFC 242 post-fight press conference. “I don’t sell out like f**king Colby Covington and talk bad about people I roll with. Jorge is a buddy of mine, I won’t fight him. He’s a training partner, he’s a good guy. If anything I’ll go out to Florida to help him train for that fight.”
That may just be the kind of thing Dustin needs to get his fire back. Following his third round UFC 242 loss, he posted a video leaving the future of his fighting career in question. Which would be an absolute shame considering everyone absolutely loves and respects the guy.
It didn’t take long for word of Dustin’s loyalty to get back to “Gamebred.”
You a real one #Bmf https://t.co/Qzxhqgf6il
— Jorge Masvidal UFC (@GamebredFighter) September 8, 2019
Shockingly enough, Colby Covington has taken the weekend off Twitter and hasn’t gotten involved, but one of his last messages was trashing Masvidal:
.@GamebredFighter I know you’re dumb and desperate, but you spelled JOURNEYMAN TITLE wrong junior. Reading is fundamental and #supernecessary. Just like WINNING is #supernecessary to get title fights. You should try both sometime, you trash bag. https://t.co/OTjrSKNbOI
— Colby Covington (@ColbyCovMMA) September 6, 2019
It’s all an interesting dynamic considering Covington, Masvidal, and Poirier are all American Top Team fighters. Masvidal used to make it a point of supporting Covington in interviews, saying “That’s my partner, man. I got his back. He’s got mine. And don’t nobody want problems, either, at the end of the day. I’ll tell you that right now.”
Covington has previously taken some potshots at Masvidal saying he’s the better wrestler, which is about as nicely as you’re gonna get treated in Colby’s world. But things may be going south now that the UFC has used Diaz vs. Masvidal as a replacement fight for the originally expected Usman vs. Covington welterweight title fight at UFC 244.
”We offered Colby and Usman fights and they didn’t jump on it,” UFC president Dana White said in Abu Dhabi. “So we rolled, and we made another fight.”
Keep in mind that tweet from Colby was after news that Usman vs. Covington was falling apart but before Diaz vs. Masvidal was locked in. So will things get worse? Is it all just more Colby Covington fakery? Is it something Masvidal will shrug off? Or the sort of thing you don’t throw at “Street Jesus” and expect to get away with?
Interesting times ahead at American Top Team, we’re sure.