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One of the most anticipated grudge matches in the octagon will finally come to a head as Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington gear up for a main event clash at UFC 272 in March.
The UFC recently raised the hype level for the rivalry with an exciting new video package featuring the duo of friends-turned-bitter rivals. The promo highlighted old footage of Masvidal and Covington getting along in the early days of their UFC stints. However, the video concluded with statements made by the two fighters after they had drifted apart.
Check out the promo for UFC 272: Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal:
Once upon a time, Covington vowed he would never fight his "best friend" Masvidal unless a title was on the line. However, that is clearly no longer the case as the welterweight contenders reportedly agreed to square off after their relationship had soured.
Both superstars in their own right, Masvidal and Covington, haven't crossed paths since their fallout in 2018. Both men are coming off failed title bids against reigning divisional monarch Kamaru Usman.
Covington vs. Masvidal will be one of the rare occasions in which a UFC pay-per-view is headlined by a non-title fight. The last time such an instance occurred was when Conor McGregor locked horns with Dustin Poirier in a trilogy bout at UFC 264 last July.
Colby Covington favored to win against Jorge Masvidal
Top-ranked UFC welterweight Colby Covington opened as a heavy favorite against fellow two-time title challenger Jorge Masvidal. If the betting odds are to be believed, Covington is expected to dominate his former training partner.
According to gambling site Betonline.ag, Covington is the prohibitive favorite at -325, leaving Masvidal at +275 heading into their main event showdown. The odds imply that 'Chaos' has a 76 percent chance of winning.
Then again, Jorge Masvidal has shattered great odds in the past. 'Gamebred' closed as a +135 underdog against former Bellator champion Ben Askren at UFC 239. He was also listed as a +175 underdog against British star Darren Till at UFC Fight Night 147. Masvidal, of course, won both matchups by knockout.
