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Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal will headline UFC 272 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday.
The bad blood between Covington and Masvidal has been covered extensively. The two were teammates and training partners at American Top Team until a falling-out put them at odds with one another.
They will settle some of their differences in Saturday’s main event.
The pay-per-view card is a rare offering in that it doesn’t feature a title fight at the top. But there are still some intriguing fights that could have an impact on their respective weight divisions’ futures.
Rafael dos Anjos will fight Renato Moicano in a co-main event that was put together at the eleventh hour. RDA was originally scheduled to take on Rafael Fiziev, but a positive COVID-19 test means Moicano will step in to fight the former lightweight champion at a catchweight of 160 pounds.
Here’s a look at the full card and the latest from the fighters heading into weigh-ins.
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Main Card (ESPN+ PPV at 10 p.m. ET)
- Colby Covington -320 (wager $320 to win $100) vs. Jorge Masvidal +250 (wager $100 to win $250)
- Rafael dos Anjos -165 vs. Renato Moicano +145
- Edson Barboza +145 vs. Bryce Mitchell -165
- Kevin Holland -320 vs. Alex Oliveira +250
- Serghei Spivac -190 vs. Greg Hardy +160
Prelims (ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET)
- Jalin Turner -155 vs. Jamie Mullarkey +135
- Marina Rodriguez -255 vs. Yan Xiaonan +205
- Nicolae Negumereanu +125 vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu -145
- Maryna Moroz +160 vs. Mariya Agapova -190
Early Prelims (UFC Fight Pass at 6 p.m. ET)
- Brian Kelleher +475 vs. Umar Nurmagomedov -675
- Tim Elliott +205 vs. Tagir Ulanbekov -255
- Devonte Smith -150 vs. Ludovit Klein +130
- Dustin Jacoby -190 vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk +160
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
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With a whole lot of personal history between the two main event combatants, it’s no surprise there has been no shortage of smack talk. Most of the time, the hype in a main event becomes a non-factor once the cage door shuts. However, some of Covington’s chatter lends insight into what his plan will look like Saturday.
“He can’t last with me in that Octagon. I’m going to make him quit in front of the world,” Covington told Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports. “It’s going to be the same thing that happened every time we fought behind closed doors.”
The obvious hurdle that Masvidal will have to overcome in this fight is Covington’s wrestling. Masvidal is a knockout artist on the feet, but he’s been neutralized by wrestlers in the past. Kamaru Usman took him down seven times over their two fights. Demian Maia dragged him to the mat four times, per UFC Stats.
Covington’s striking has improved over his UFC career, but his path to victory is fairly obvious here. He will look to utilize his grappling to wear down Masvidal, hope for a potential adrenaline dump from a fast start and look to pick up a finish late.
Prediction: Covington via decision.
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Rafael dos Anjos hasn’t had much opportunity to talk specifically about his opponent. This fight was made just five days before the event, with a positive COVID-19 test forcing Rafael Fiziev off the card.
Regardless of the opponent, though, Dos Anjos has the opportunity to show that he is still capable of fighting at a high level.
“I’ve been away for 15 months, having injuries back to back. I was abusing my body for over 15 years,” Dos Anjos said, per Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports. “Last year, I paid the price so I had to do fix some issues on my body, but I’m 100 percent healthy right now. I want it so much.”
Time is running out for Dos Anjos if he intends to make one more run at lightweight gold. He returned to the division in November 2020 when he won a split decision over Paul Felder. The win snapped a 1-4 run.
But now he’s 37 and draws a 32-year-old opponent who has won three of his past four.
Things will get interesting when this hits the ground. Moicano is an excellent submission artist, with nine of his 16 wings coming by tap. But RDA can be a smothering wrestler when the situation calls for it.
Prediction: Moicano via decision.
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The final prelim fight can be a nice showcase spot for a prospect. As the lead-in to the main card, it’s the final fight on free TV, and both Jamie Mullarkey and Jalin Turner boast hot streaks that are worth paying attention to.
Mullarkey has put together back-to-back knockout wins. The Australian started his UFC career with two losses against Brad Riddell and Fares Ziam but found a way to get back on track.
Turner’s start in the UFC was equally inauspicious. He dropped two his first three fights before finishing his past three opponents.
Mullarkey has been vocal about making the most of this opportunity, and he said of his opponent, per James Cooney of UFC.com: “He’s a southpaw; long and rangy. He brings problems—but I’m not going to give him room. I’m going to dictate the pace and make it dirty. I see me finishing him later in the fight. I’m looking to put on a show.”
The Australian does set a much higher pace than his opponent. He averages 6.2 significant strikes per minute compared to Turner’s three. As long as he can stay upright, he will have the upper hand. His 78 percent takedown defense is a good sign.
Prediction: Mullarkey via Third-round TKO.
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