This past weekend in the main event of UFC 272, we saw one of the biggest grudge matches in the promotion’s history. Former best friends turned bitter rivals battled it out as Colby Covington (17-3) took on “Gamebred” Jorge Masvidal (35-16).
There was so much riding on the line for both men from a personal and a professional standpoint. Neither man wanted to walk out of UFC 272 on the losing end considering the history that was between the two men.
Going into UFC 272, the game plan for both men was rather obvious. For Covington, he needed to use his relentless pace and his wrestling to break down Masvidal. For Masvidal, he needed to be a matador and he needed to keep the fight standing.
Well, one of those game plans was executed perfectly. Unfortunately for Masvidal, it wasn’t his. Covington was on Masvidal all night and wouldn’t let Gamebred breathe. The pace was incredible and Masvidal didn’t really have an answer for the wrestling.
In the fourth round, Masvidal was able to drop Covington with a big right hand, but he was tired he couldn’t capitalize. Covington would go on to still win the round on two scorecards. UFC 272 was a one-sided fight in favor of Colby Covington.
What’s next for Masvidal after UFC 272?
Masvidal now finds himself in a really tough spot in the UFC’s welterweight division. One could point out that he’s only lost to the two best guys, but he’s lost convincingly in all three matchups between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington.
The days of Masvidal competing for a UFC title could be over especially considering the fact that he’s 37 years old. Now, there are still big fights for Gamebred and the UFC recognizes that. One of the reasons they signed him to a new deal before this fight was his star power.
Masvidal still has that regardless of what happened this past weekend. In terms of next opponents, there’s a few options. The Nate Diaz rematch is always there, but Masvidal might let his teammate Dustin Poirier take that one.
A matchup with Conor McGregor would certainly bring on a lot of eye balls, however, McGregor seems focused on the lightweight title. A matchup that makes sense in the welterweight division is a fight with Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson.
Masvidal and Wonderboy have fought before and I could see the UFC running it back. Both men are in a very similar spot with a steep mountain to climb back to the top. It would be a fun matchup featuring two fan-favorite strikers.