Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington (Credits: UFC Twitter)
Jorge Masvidal casts light on alleged assault of Colby Covington
Former UFC welterweight contender Jorge Masvidal has addressed the incident involving his altercation with Colby Covington. The two fighters faced off in the main event of UFC 272 last March, with Covington emerging victorious by unanimous decision. Despite the outcome, the rivalry between Masvidal and Covington persisted, leading to an alleged altercation outside a Miami restaurant.
According to reports, Masvidal purportedly attacked Covington without provocation before quickly leaving the scene. He was subsequently arrested and is currently facing charges of aggravated battery and other offenses, with a court case scheduled for later this year. However, Masvidal has now come forward to deny his involvement in the incident, stating that he was never present at the restaurant that night.
During a recent appearance on Jake Paul’s podcast, Masvidal addressed the alleged assault while asserting his absence from the scene. He also mentioned that the restaurant owner thanked him for the increased publicity generated by the rumors surrounding the incident.
“That’s allegedly this, allegedly that,” Masvidal commented when asked about assaulting Colby Covington. “I wasn’t even there bro, they’re saying a lot of s*it bro. Bro, I wasn’t even there bro!… I’m not even banned from the restaurant, that dude loves me. I ran into him the other night because I’ve run into him a couple of times.”
Masvidal went on to share an exchange he had with the restaurant owner, stating, “He was like, ‘Man, since that rumor, that you were allegedly there, reservations went through the roof like 530%.’ I told him that I would love to take these nice vibes he was giving me, but that was alleged, as we both know… Colby’s a bi*ch, if he were here right now, he’d run right out.”
The authenticity of Masvidal’s claims and the details of the alleged assault are yet to be determined. However, his denial adds a new layer to the ongoing controversy surrounding the incident.
Jorge Masvidal believes that Jake Paul will face a challenging night in his upcoming boxing match against Nate Diaz, Masvidal’s former UFC opponent. Diaz, who recently left the UFC, is set to make his boxing debut against the YouTube star on August 5 in Dallas, Texas. Masvidal and Diaz crossed paths in November 2019 when they fought for the ‘BMF’ title, with Masvidal winning the bout.
Masvidal shared his prediction during a recent appearance on Paul’s podcast, where he discussed why he thinks Diaz will make a smooth transition to the boxing ring. Masvidal praised Diaz’s experience and endurance, stating that he believes Diaz will be a decent boxer, especially considering his natural aptitude for boxing. Masvidal and Paul had a falling out after Masvidal supported Tyron Woodley against Paul, leading to Paul campaigning for a fight against Masvidal. Despite the friction, Masvidal revealed that the UFC was not keen on letting him pursue boxing while under contract.
“”Nate is definitely going to have the experience over you and he’s got crazy endurance,” Masvidal told Paul. “I think the opening round is going to tell me a lot. He has got great cardio and I think especially in boxing, he’s going to make an easy transition. I would think out of all the categories you could have in martial arts, boxing is something that comes very natural to him. He is going to be a decent boxer.”
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