Photo by Todd Lussier/Zuffa LLC
As confirmed by Dana White himself, Colby Covington is fighting Jorge Masvidal next.
According to an ESPN report in early September, the UFC is planning a rematch between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz for early 2021. “That fight is in the works” said UFC president Dana White himself, with Masvidal’s “BMF” title on the line.
But as we all know, the UFC also loves a heated grudge match. They seem to especially fancy it when Colby Covington is one of those involved. On Saturday’s UFC 253 post-fight press conference, White announced that “Chaos” and “Gamebred” will finally have a go at it, after months of throwing insults at each other.
“After the Colby fight (against Woodley), how do you not make that (Masvidal) fight?” White told members of the media. “That’s a fight that makes sense. The Nate Diaz rematch is gonna be there no matter what happens.”
Covington and Masvidal used to be roommates and close training partners. The falling out, according to Masvidal, began when Covington failed to pay his long-time mentor Paulino Hernandez. Covington worked with Hernandez from his first amateur fight until the Rafael dos Anjos bout in 2018 that won him the UFC interim welterweight title.
“From his first amateur fight, all the way to when he fought RDA for the interim belt, it was the first time in his career that he made money,” Masvidal said of Covington during his Australia tour in February. “He didn’t pay my coach. He stiffed him. So as soon as that happened, I was like, ‘no, f—k that guy.’
“Me and him have been the team ever since,” Masvidal said of Hernandez, whom he regards as a second father. “So you can imagine, when this guy ripped him off, I wasn’t too fond of that.”
White didn’t confirm any date or venue for the Covington-Masvidal fight.
Covington last fought a week ago, when he dealt Tyron Woodley his first stoppage loss in eight years via fifth-round TKO. Masvidal, meanwhile, stepped in on short notice at UFC 251 in July when he challenged Kamaru Usman for the undisputed welterweight title. He lost via unanimous decision.