Jorge Masvidal explains where things first went wrong in friendship with Colby Covington: “I would see signs in the way he treated his family”

By Harry Kettle - February 16, 2022

Jorge Masvidal has spoken about the origin of his rivalry with former friend Colby Covington ahead of their UFC 272 showdown.

Jorge Masvidal

On March 5, Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington will aim to finally settle their feud that seems to have been ongoing for a few years now. The two top welterweights, both of whom have now lost twice to Kamaru Usman, will be hoping that a main event win in Las Vegas next month can send them surging back into contention for a trilogy fight against “The Nigerian Nightmare”.

In terms of the deterioration of their friendship, though, that’s an eruption that has been brewing for a while – as confirmed by Masvidal during a recent interview.

“There’s numerous interviews with him calling me his best friend,” Masvidal said. “I really wouldn’t do that because I would see signs in the way he treated his family, the way he talked about his sister, the way he talked about his mom. …There’s three sides to every story: there’s yours, theirs, and the truth. So, I was just like, this guy’s interesting.”

Masvidal went on to note that Tyron Woodley, someone Covington had been targeting for years, actually helped him out when he was training as an amateur.

“I was already like, let me start separating myself from this guy little by little, and then, ‘Bam!’ Before I could even like fully (separate), he betrayed my coach. Didn’t pay him the money that was agreed upon and I knew since then I’m gonna hurt this guy.”

“I’m hoping that the referee, on the way to pulling me off of him, slips on a banana peel and I get some extra shots in and really change his life and his face structure,” Masvidal said.

Quotes via MMA Junkie

Who is the favourite heading into the UFC 272 main event – Jorge Masvidal or Colby Covington? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments, BJPENN Nation!