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Ahead of UFC 272 this weekend, a fan posted an old clip of Jorge Masvidal calling Colby Covington his best friend. Covington vs. Masvidal is set to headline UFC 272.
Jorge Masvidal has repeatedly referred to old clips of Colby Covington calling him his best friend in the build-up to the fight. However, 'Gamebred' has stated that he never said the same about Covington. A clip from Twitter user @ChaseOliver68 shows Masvidal doing just that though. Here's what the Miami native says:
"You know tomorrow's sparring day. I'll have that payback in the back of my head when I go for them bodyshots. You wanna grind me out 10 mins? Okay, but that's my roomie, that's my best friend right there. Ain't gotta worry about nobody grinding on me, after I got him."
Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal became training partners when 'Chaos' joined the American Top Team. Covington's decorated wrestling background helped Masvidal improve in that aspect of his game. On the other hand, Masvidal taught Covington new striking techniques. They soon became close friends and roommates.
However, things started to change when 'Chaos' introduced his trash-talking persona. Despite having an impressive promotional record, Covington's wrestling-heavy fighting style was deemed boring by the UFC. So he turned 'heel' to save his career in the organization.
Watch Colby Covington's octagon interview after his fight against Demian Maia:
The new personality brought success to Covington's career. However, his own teammates at ATT were subject to his verbal attacks. That didn't sit well with many, including Masvidal.
The friendship ended when Covington allegedly didn't pay his striking coach Paulino Hernandez, who was also Masvidal's long-time trainer. Covington and Masvidal turned into bitter foes. They will finally fight inside the octagon this weekend at UFC 272.
What happened at the Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal press conference?
Both Covington and Masvidal were present at the UFC 272 pre-fight press conference yesterday. The media event was thoroughly entertaining, with the two exchanging back-and-forth verbal attacks.
Watch the highlights of the UFC 272 pre-fight press conference below:
Colby Covington and Masvidal were separated by security as they sat on stage. However, tempers still flared. Covington brought up Masvidal's wife, kids, and even nationality to rile him up. In short, there was nothing cordial about the former best friends.
It will be interesting to see how the actual fight plays out this weekend. Apart from the rivalry, both fighters are ranked high in the welterweight division. Covington is the bookmakers' favorite going into the fight. However, Jorge Masvidal is a veteran of the game and a very seasoned striker and cannot be counted out.
30/1 Odds on UFC 272 (Bet $5 Win $150 when you bet on Colby Covington or Jorge Masvidal to Win)
