LAS VEGAS — UFC president Dana White has promoted thousands of fights since stepping into his role in 2001, but there’s something different about this one, the heated grudge match between Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal. The two former roommates and former best friends will fight in the main event of UFC 272 at T-Mobile Arena. Covington and Masvidal cannot stand each other now. Covington believes Masvidal got jealous of his success and verbally stabbed him in the back. Masvidal says Covington is phony and stiffed Masvidal’s coach on pay.
“I don’t know if there’s ever been one like this where the guys were actually teammates, roommates, friends, cornermen,” White said Thursday at the prefight press conference. “These guys go way back. And I don’t know if there’s ever been one like this. Not even close.”
This fight really isn’t about rankings or titles. It’s about pride and bragging rights. But Covington and Masvidal are elite fighters and both are multiple-time UFC welterweight title challengers. ESPN ranks Covington No. 4 at welterweight and Masvidal at No. 10.
Covington (16-3) is coming off a close, unanimous decision loss to welterweight champ Kamaru Usman, ESPN’s current pound-for-pound king, at UFC 268. The California native, who lives and trains in Florida, has won eight of his past 10 fights, but dropped two of his past three — both to Usman. Covington, 34, owns dominant wins over a pair of former teammates already: Tyron Woodley and Robbie Lawler.
Masvidal (35-15) has lost to Usman in his past two bouts, both title fights. Most recently, Usman knocked Masvidal out at UFC 261 in April 2021. Masvidal, a Miami native, rose to superstardom in with spectacular finishes over Darren Till, Ben Askren and Nate Diaz in 2019. In the latter bout, Masvidal claimed the mythical Baddest Mother—-er title. Masvidal, 37, has been a pro fighter since 2003 and started his career fighting on the streets and in backyards.
In the co-main event, former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos will take on Renato Moicano in a 160-pound catchweight bout. Moicano took the fight on four days’ notice after the withdrawal of Rafael Fiziev due to COVID-19. Dos Anjos (30-13) has not fought since a split decision win over Paul Felder in November 2020. Moicano (16-4-1) has won two straight, most recently a second-round submission finish over Alexander Hernandez at UFC 271 on Feb. 12.
Also on the card, Edson Barboza meets Bryce Mitchell in a key featherweight battle, Kevin Holland drops to welterweight to face Alex Oliveira and Marina Rodriguez faces Yan Xiaonan in a potential women’s strawweight title eliminator.
Follow along as Brett Okamoto, Marc Raimondi and Jeff Wagenheim recap the action or watch the fights live on ESPN+ PPV.
Fight in progress — Women’s flyweight: Maryna Moroz (10-3, 5-3 UFC, +155) vs. Mariya Agapova (10-2, 2-1 UFC, -180)
Men’s featherweight: Umar Nurmagomedov (14-0, 2-0 UFC) def. Brian Kelleher (24-13, 8-6 UFC) by TKO via rear naked choke (Watch on ESPN+)
Umar Nurmagomedov is known as more of a striker than his cousin Khabib, one of the best MMA fighters of all time. But like most Dagestan products, Nurmagomedov can grapple quite well, too.
The undefeated Nurmagomedov was able to get Kelleher down, win a scramble and take Kelleher’s back before sinking in a rear-naked choke. The finish came at 3:15 of the first round. The bout was contested at featherweight because Kelleher came in on short notice. Nurmagomedov said afterward he’ll continue his career at bantamweight.
“He’s a strong fighter, and I’m very happy that I got a win,” Nurmagomedov said.
Nurmagomedov, who had Khabib in his corner, added that he’s ready to fight next week if the UFC needed him.
Nurmagomedov, 26, is now 2-0 in the UFC, both victories via rear-naked choke finish. He has four submission finishes in his last five fights. Kelleher, a 35-year-old New York native, had a two-fight winning streak snapped.
Men’s flyweight: Tim Elliott (19-12-1, 7-10 UFC) def. Tagir Ulanbekov (14-2, 2-1 UFC) by unanimous decision (Watch on ESPN+)
Elliott, of Missouri, has seen his share of highs and lows in a UFC career that dates back to 2012, and Saturday night will undoubtedly go down as one of the highs.
Elliott, 35, upset Ulanbekov, of Dagestan, via unanimous 29-28 judges’ scores. The veteran flyweight was a relatively significant underdog to Ulanbekov, who went into the bout with a UFC record of 2-0.
Fighting under the tutelage of retired legend Khabib Nurmagomedov, Ulanbekov looked lost against Elliott at times, especially in the first and second rounds. Elliott dropped Ulanbekov with an overhand left in the opening round and consistently out-worked him in grappling positions.
Ulanbekov managed to take Elliott’s back in the final 90 seconds of the fight after cinching himself to Elliott’s waist on the feet. It was a bad spot for Elliott, but he calmly thwarted Ulanbekov’s attempts at a rear-naked choke and held on for the unanimous decision.
Elliott is now 3-1 in his last four, after dropping three in a row at one point in 2020.
Lightweight: Ludovit Klein (18-4, 2-2 UFC) def. Devonte Smith (11-4, 3-3 UFC) by majority decision (Watch on ESPN+)
This might end up being the biggest upset of the night: The fight went the distance. For Smith, it was the first time in 15 career bouts that he heard scorecards announced. For Klein, it was just his third decision in 22 fights.
Klein, who was booked for this bout as a late replacement just eight days ago, did not wilt as the rounds went on. That was partly because he smartly slowed the pace by keeping Smith locked in a clinch for extended periods.
When Klein did throw punches, they were straight and accurate, landing at a 63% clip. However, his best work might have been within a straight kick in Round 3 that sent Smith moving backward, indicating he was hurt. But he survived and went on the attack himself down the stretch.
But it was too little, too late in the eyes of two judges. While there were 29-28 scorecards for each fighter, judge Sal D’Amato turned in a 30-27 card for Klein.
Klein, a 27-year-old from Slovakia, ended a two-fight losing streak. Smith, 28 and from Cleveland, has lost three of four since starting his career 10-1.
Light heavyweight: Dustin Jacoby (17-5-1, 5-2-1 UFC) def. Michal Oleksiejczuk (16-5 1 NC, 4-3 1 NC UFC) by unanimous decision (Watch on ESPN+)
After an eight-year absence from the UFC, Jacoby has quietly put together one of the better recent runs in the light heavyweight division.
Jacoby outlasted Oleksiejczuk by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) in a back-and-forth battle Saturday night to lead off UFC 272. Jacoby, an accomplished kickboxer, said afterward that he had to turn the bout into a boxing match, because he injured both legs and foot in training.
Oleksiejczuk had a strong first round, pressuring Jacoby with his southpaw striking. Jacoby made adjustments in the second, pressuring himself and dropping Oleksiejczuk with a punching combination and a knee. In the third, both men were clearly tired — Jacoby said he couldn’t do much cardio due to the injuries — but Jacoby did just enough to edge out the victory, switching to southpaw and landing solid jabs and an elbow.
Jacoby, 33, is unbeaten in eight straight fights, including his last five in the UFC. The 33-year-old Colorado native has won three straight. Oleksiejczuk, a 27-year-old Poland native, had a two-fight winning streak snapped.
Still to come:
-
Welterweight: Colby Covington (16-3, 11-3 UFC, -310) vs. Jorge Masvidal (35-15, 12-8 UFC, +250)
-
Lightweight: Rafael dos Anjos (30-13, 19-11 UFC, -180) vs. Renato Moicano (16-4-1, 8-4 UFC, +155)
-
Men’s featherweight: Edson Barboza (22-10, 16-10 UFC) vs. Bryce Mitchell (14-1, 5-0 UFC)
-
Welterweight: Kevin Holland (21-7 1 NC, 8-4 1 NC UFC, -340) vs. Alex Oliveira (22-11-2 2 NC, 11-9 1 NC UFC, +270)
-
Heavyweight: Serghei Spivac (13-3, 4-3 UFC, -190) vs. Greg Hardy (7-4 1 NC, 4-4 1 NC UFC, +160)
-
Lightweight: Jalin Turner (11-5, 4-2 UFC, -155) vs. Jamie Mullarkey (14-4, 2-2 UFC, +130)
-
Strawweight: Marina Rodriguez (15-1-2, 5-1-2 UFC, -270) vs. Yan Xiaonan (13-2, 6-1 UFC, +220)
-
Light heavyweight: Nicolae Negumereanu (11-1, 2-1 UFC, +120) vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu (9-2, 3-2 UFC, -140)