Former friends will become octagon foes when Colby Covington clashes with Jorge Masvidal in the headline bout of UFC 272 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Chaos and Gamebred will be trying to earn another shot at the welterweight crown currently held by Kamaru Usman, who has beaten them both twice.
An all-action grudge match is anticipated but the first-named looks a worthy favourite at 1.30 in the Covington vs Masvidal odds.
Colby Covington Odds
Covington and Masvidal were tight-knit training partners when rising up the rankings, but that changed when Chaos claimed the interim 170lb title by beating Rafael dos Anjos.
The 34-year-old former wrestling champion revelled in his new-found fame and played up to the bad-guy persona, alienating many around him.
That ended up with an acrimonious split from the American Top Team camp, while being a big Donald Trump supporter only added to his divisive profile.
It has not affected his performances in the octagon, though, with Tyron Woodley beaten in between the two losses to Nigerian Nightmare Usman.
Covington held his own for four rounds of the first fight before being stopped in the final section and was competitive in the rematch, despite falling to a unanimous decision.
Chaos has steadily improved his striking power but still favours the ground game, wearing down opponents with his relentless pace.
Five of his last six wins have come via the judges’ scorecards, with a rib injury leading to Woodley’s fifth-round exit.
The feeling is that Chaos can outwork Gamebred without quite putting him away, so 1.8 for a win on points spearheads our Covington vs Masvidal predictions.
Jorge Masvidal Odds
Masvidal lost an uneventful July 2020 clash with Usman on points after stepping in at short notice and was then knocked out early in the second round of last April’s rematch.
That was a first stoppage loss under the UFC banner but may just highlight Usman’s dominance rather than any decline in the 37-year-old.
Gamebred did pull out of a December showdown with Leon Edwards due to injury, though, so another lengthy lay-off at his age is obviously a concern.
However, the animosity in this bout should ensure Masvidal is fully wound-up to do himself justice.
Covington declared: “I’ve wanted this fight since the day he turned his back on me and stabbed me in the back like the bum he is.
“I’m not here to make friends, I’m here to make money – and I’m going to make him pay.”
Masvidal countered: “I brought him in, now I’m going to take him out and make sure he’ll never come back.”
Gamebred is a 3.75 underdog to prevail but can last the distance and 1.67 for the fight to reach the final bell will be popular from the Covington vs Masvidal odds.
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