MMAOB staff writer Adam Martin takes a deeper look at the main event of UFC 272, a five-round non-title welterweight bout between champion Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal. The event takes place on Saturday, March 5 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Colby Covington (-320)
Covington (16-3) is the No. 1 contender in the UFC welterweight division. The 34-year-old American has been one of the best welterweights on the UFC roster ever since joining the promotion in 2014. Since then, Covington has gone 11-3 with wins over the likes of Tyron Woodley, Rafael dos Anjos, Robbie Lawler, and Demian Maia. Covington has been one of the top wrestlers at 170lbs ever since joining the UFC, and he’s also improved his striking skills over that time to transform himself into an elite welterweight fighter. Other than two losses to Kamaru Usman (and a loss to Warlley Alves at the beginning of his UFC career), Covington just hasn’t been beaten inside the Octagon. He has proven to be a very tough out and, regardless of what you think about Covington the person, he is a very good fighter. There is a reason why the sportsbooks have him pegged as a big favorite here.
Jorge Masvidal (+250)
Masvidal (35-15) is the No. 6 ranked welterweight in the UFC. The 37-year-old American has been in the UFC since 2013, going 12-8 in the Octagon since then. Masvidal has fought many of the best welterweights in the sport, and he has won over the likes of Nate Diaz, Ben Askren, Darren Till, Donald Cerrone, and Michael Chiesa, to name a few. Masvidal is a very dangerous striker as we have seen throughout the years, and if he can keep this fight with Covington on the feet he will have a puncher’s chance. However, if he gets put on his back, this could be a tough matchup for him.
Fight Breakdown: This grudge match between these bitter rivals should be entertaining for as long as it lasts. Masvidal is a dangerous striker and he has shown that throughout his career, but overall Covington is the more complete MMA fighter, which is why he’s favored here. Masvidal could win this fight if he keeps it standing, but Covington has shown elite wrestling ability throughout his whole UFC career. Not only that, but Covington is also a very capable striker in his own right. Covington is coming off of a very competitive decision loss to Usman in his last fight, while Masvidal got brutally knocked out. It’s been a long time since we have seen Masvidal get his hand raised in the Octagon. To be fair, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen Covington win, as well, but I have more faith in him to get the job done in this fight. Look for Covington to use his wrestling to grind on Masvidal during this fight and control him on the ground. It’s a five-round fight, so a finish is certainly possible, but at the end of 25 minutes, my prediction is we will see Covington getting his hand raised by a decision.
Prediction: Colby Covington
