Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal used to be best friends. Today, they’re enemies and both sit near the top of the rankings in the UFC’s welterweight division. Unfortunately, fans have heard very little about why the Covington vs. Masvidal fight hasn’t been announced.
The UFC has made it clear that this is the fight they want to see. Fans, obviously, are excited to see this bout come together, too. Now is the perfect time to talk about why this bout might be delayed.
Here’s what you need to know!
The UFC Welterweight Division is Stacked Right Now
For years, the UFC’s welterweight division has been one of its premier weight classes. Early in the sport, Matt Hughes ruled over the 170-pound division. George St. Pierre then took over as champion and had one of the greatest runs in the history of the sport.
GSP proved to be almost unstoppable during his time as champion. Aside from the upset to Matt Serra, he was nearly flawless inside the cage. In 2013, he relinquished his title and took a break from MMA. GSP has teased comebacks several times over the years, yet this has yet to be officially announced.
The welterweight title has switched hands several times since St. Pierre’s departure. Kamaru Usman won the belt in March of 2019 and has looked great ever since. He’s since defended the belt twice against Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal.
There is no shortage of world-class contenders in the welterweight division. Usman is sitting comfortably at the top, yet it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see someone else win the belt sometime next year. It’s an exciting time for fans of MMA.
The UFC has booked several high-profile welterweight bouts to take place over the next few months. One, unfortunately, has failed to come together. That is the massive grudge match between former teammates Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal.
Fans have been wondering why this fight is being delayed. One of the fighters involved recently gave his take on the issue.
Here’s Another Update on the Covington vs. Masvidal Fight
Just a few years ago, Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal were roommates in Miami, Florida. These two men trained at the world-famous American Top Team and were both competing in the UFC. It seemed like a perfect way for both men to move their way up the rankings.
Unfortunately, the relationship between these two fighters began to deteriorate. As a way to generate more fan interest, Colby Covington began cutting WWE-like promos, often trash-talking fellow fighters in the sport. This seemed to rub Jorge Masvidal the wrong way.
These two men continued to train in the same gym. The heat between these fighters got worse, though, and it eventually became clear that they could no longer be in the same facility as one another. Colby then made the move to another gym and began openly calling for a fight against “Gamebred.”
The UFC seemed to love this idea. Unfortunately, nothing has come to fruition. Covington was recently asked about the delays getting this fight booked. He claims that it’s a fight he has accepted, yet Jorge is nowhere to be found.
“I’m good to go on my end,” Colby said. “I’m ready to go. I gave them my verbal (agreement), and I’m a man of my word. I’m gonna show up and do what I do best, that’s win and fight hard, (and) put on a show for the fans around the world. Getting Jorge ‘Street Judas’ Masvidal on board is a whole other story. Where’s he at now? Now you haven’t heard a peep out of him. He’s completely silent. I think it’s going to show the fans the truth, and he’s gonna lose all that street cred. All that street cred for being a badass mother (expletive), for being a street king and a street fighter, and just the baddest dude who would show up at any time, he’s losing all that credibility by the day, because he’s nowhere to be found.”
It’s hard to imagine Jorge Masvidal being scared of any fight. His management team, however, might be looking for the biggest-possible opponent to take on right now. That could come against Nate Diaz, or perhaps someone without the skillset that Colby Covington possesses.
The UFC has yet to formally announce the Covington vs. Masvidal fight. Rumors claim it could take place at UFC 258 this February. Stay tuned for more updates!
The Usman-Burns Title Fight is Set for UFC 258!
As we mentioned earlier, Kamaru Usman captured the UFC welterweight title back in March of 2019. He’s proven to be one of the best champions the division has seen in years. Usman is now set to take on his third title challenger this March.
His opponent is Gilbert Burns, a jiu-jitsu world champion with dangerous striking skills. Burns is now 4-0 in the welterweight division with his most recent win coming over former champion, Tyron Woodley. Some feel he’s the most dangerous threat to Usman thus far into his career.
The Usman-Burns fight is now set to take place at UFC 258 on February 13. Unfortunately, popular online sportsbooks such as BetOnline aren’t offering odds on this bout yet. Most feel that Usman will end up coming in as the significant favorite, though.
This event is coming together quickly. The highly-anticipated fight between Chris Weidman and Urijah Hall is scheduled to take place on this card. It’s a huge fight for the middleweight division and could have implications for the title sometime next year.
If the rumors are correct, we could see the Covington vs. Masvidal fight take place on this card, too. It seems highly likely that the winner will earn the next shot at the welterweight belt.
Do you want to see Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal fight? Who do you think will win this bout? Let us know in the comments section below!
Kevin Oldroyd
A longtime sports and gambling enthusiast, Kevin looks to present up-to-date and reliable information for readers. If he’s not writing, he’s probably watching MMA or playing blackjack. …
