UFC 272 goes down at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas this weekend. In the main event, Colby Covington takes on Jorge Masvidal in a highly anticipated grudge match.
Both Covington and Masvidal are coming off defeats at the hands of UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, and will be looking to bounce back into the win column. ‘Chaos’ lost to ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ by unanimous decision at UFC 268, while ‘Gamebred’ suffered a brutal second round knockout loss at UFC 261.
UFC 272 Analysis And Prediction
Having trained together for years, Masvidal and Covington know a lot about each other, but sparring in the gym and fighting inside a cage with millions of people watching are two different things altogether. The stakes are high, and the rivalry between the two is fierce, which means we are in for an exciting fight week.
Covington is primarily a wrestler, but his striking has improved a lot during the last few years. He is a high volume striker who loves to push the pace. Masvidal is primarily a striker, but has great wrestling ability and an excellent takedown defence, but he has been taken down and controlled in the past by high-end grapplers like Usman and Demian Maia.
The former interim welterweight champion is relentless with his wrestling, and he will look to take the fight to the ground as soon as an opportunity arises. Masvidal does have knockout power and the possibility of him scoring a knockout is there, but Covington is very durable. The BMF champion will need something special to put his arch-rival to sleep.
Statistically, both fighters are very even as they land a little over four significant strikes per minute on average, while they absorb a little over three. Covington has the edge in grappling. He averages four takedowns per fight, and has a decent takedown accuracy, but he isn’t a finisher. It’s very likely that Covington will dominate Masvidal on the mat for five rounds, without getting the finish, which means Masvidal will have plenty of chances to get his KO.
Make no mistake about it, Masvidal is as game as they come, but Covington is a terrible matchup for him. Expect Covington to get his hand raised at UFC 272.
Prediction: Colby Covington by decision
Betting Odds:
Colby Covington (-320)
Jorge Masvidal (+250)
Who do you think will win the UFC 272 main event between Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal?
See also:
