Jorge Masvidal rolled the dice by accepting a UFC welterweight title opportunity on six-days’ notice against Kamaru Usman and crapped out. The popular BMF champion was thoroughly dominated by Usman and dropped a unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 251 at “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi.
But Masvidal likely lost nothing in terms of popularity considering that the deck was stacked against him and the fight played out like most thought it would. He didn’t suffer much damage and could certainly find himself in a high-profile fight in his next outing.
Dejected with his performance, Masvidal was uninterested in speaking much about future opponents afterward outside of a possible rematch with Usman. Eventually, he came around and said he’d be willing to take on whoever will get him closer to another title opportunity.
“Leon Edwards, if the numbers make sense, or whoever it is that gets me closer to the title,” the 35-year-old said. Masvidal and the current No. 4 welterweight contender had a backstage altercation last March, and the fight makes sense from a marketing standpoint with a built-in narrative to attach to the fight.
But there’s another opponent ranked higher than Edwards who has a history with Masvidal and could put “Gamebred” right back into title contention.
Colby Covington.
“The fragile guy with the MAGA hat, definitely not him because he got finished by (Usman) with a full training camp,” Masvidal said dismissively of his former training partner turned foe. “He had like 12 weeks and got finished so I think that guy is below me by a lot. Six-days’ notice and I was nowhere near getting hurt or getting put out, so definitely not that punk.”
Covington was stopped in the fifth-round by Usman last December and hasn’t fought since then. He is currently ranked ahead of Masvidal at No. 2, and given his turbulent history with Masvidal, it would appear to be a highly marketable fight for the UFC.
The two were training partners at American Top Team before issues cropped up between Covington and his teammates, including Dustin Poirier and Masvidal. Eventually, the turmoil led to Covington leaving ATT. The two have traded barbs through the media over the past year, and it seems like they will eventually have to cross paths if either wants another crack at the welterweight title.
But if Masvidal has his way, it will never happen.
“Nobody knows that guy,” he said. “He got his jaw broken (by Usman) and had to run out of there.”
You know what that means, right? The fight will probably happen.