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Chael Sonnen recently predicted that Colby Covington will emerge victorious against Jorge Masvidal in the UFC 272 main event.
However, 'The American Gangster' believes the bout will be competitive and both fighters will inflict damage on the other. He didn't pick Masvidal to win a single round though, despite predicting that every round will be closely contested. Here's what Sonnen said:
"Colby Covington is gonna get his a** kicked, for sure, Jorge Masvidal his a**. Colby's gonna beat Jorge's a** even worse. That's what I am picking. I don't believe that Masvidal wins a round. But I believe Masvidal is competitive in every singe round. I believe Colby's going to be bleeding. I believe his eye's going to be swollen, his nose's gonna be broken. I just happen to think Colby knows that. That's the one thing familiarity does bring you."
Watch Chael Sonnen give his prediction for Covington vs. Masvidal:
This is not the first time former teammates or training partners will clash inside the octagon. Not too long ago, Francis Ngannou took on Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. However, Sonnen believes the fight between Covington and Masvidal will be like no other:
"This is going to be the opposite of every freind versus friend match, every teammate versus teammate you've ever seen. They're not gonna go out there with a defensive posture knowing what's coming from their opponent because they used to work out with them. That's not the case. It's a different weight class, different coaches, cornermen, training camps, facilities in a different time."
Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal's recent form
Covington has been defeated twice in his last three fights inside the octagon. The former interim welterweight champion challenged Kamaru Usman at UFC 245 for his first shot at the undisputed title. He was stopped in the final round of a thrilling contest, giving him his first loss since UFC 194.
'Chaos' defeated Tyron Woodley in his next fight, earning him another shot at Usman. However, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' bettered him again at UFC 268, this time via unanimous decision.
Watch the clip of Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington ahead of their pre-fight press conference:
Masvidal, meanwhile, has been beaten by Kamaru Usman in his last two bouts. He stepped up on six days' notice to take on the champion at UFC 251, where he lost via unanimous decision. In their rematch at UFC 261, Usman viciously knocked out the Miami native.
Despite those losses, Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal are still two of the most well-known welterweights in the promotion. Their respective notoriety is one of the key reasons why they will be competing in a highly anticipated, non-title main event at UFC 272 this weekend.
