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Jorge Masvidal has landed himself in some serious legal trouble after allegedly assaulting Colby Covington outside a Miami Beach restaurant. Although Michael Bisping doesn't approve of what happened, he certainly understands why Covington's words pushed Masvidal into unsanctioned violence.
In a new video on Bisping's YouTube channel, the former UFC middleweight champ said:
"It was very personal, and Covington did say some things that shouldn't be said. And I'm not excusing Masvidal's behavior here, not for a second. But if you talk about a man's ex-wife or wife - even talking about an ex-wife, that's even more explosive."
What was worse to Bisping was the talk about Masvidal's parenting:
"And then he's talking about his skills as a father. Talking about him being a bad father. That stings. That hurts. That's sticking in the knife and giving it an old-fashioned twist. I believe in the fight game there are certain things you shouldn't talk about. And that should be off the table. Children should be off the table."
During the lead up to their UFC 272 main event, Colby Covington repeatedly called Jorge Masvidal a deadbeat dad and brought up his ex-wife. This behavior hasn't just been limited to Masvidal, either. After beating 'Gamebred' via decision, Covington immediately called out Dustin Poirier by mentioning his wife and daughter.
Watch Covington's UFC 272 post-fight interview below:
Jorge Masvidal claims he engaged in 'mutual combat' with Colby Covington
Jorge Masvidal was arrested on Wednesday and charged with aggravated battery causing great bodily harm and criminal mischief. The aggravated battery charge is a second-degree felony with a sentence of up to 15 years in prison and $10,000 in fines. Masvidal has since been released on $15,000 bail.
Masvidal has made some comments about the alleged attack on social media, but the most interesting statement came at a Nevada State Athletic Commission meeting where Masvidal was seeking a promoter's license for an upcoming MMA event. This is what he had to say:
“I had a mutual combatant with another athlete, and you know, I can’t say too much on this, but if we could table [the license request] for later, that would be amazing.”
In Florida, 'mutual combat' is a recognized defense in assault cases, but requires both parties to consent to fighting. This does not have to be explicitly verbal and juries are often asked to rule on issues of consent given surrounding circumstances.
