UFC 272: Covington vs. Masvidal | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Daniel Cornmeat
- May 17
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 15
Introduction
UFC 272: Covington vs. Masvidal took place on Saturday, March 5, 2022 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It was the most personal grudge match in modern UFC history — two former best friends, training partners, and roommates at American Top Team who had fallen out so badly that they had not spoken in over two years before fight night. The card produced an estimated 800,000 pay-per-view buys, the highest non-title PPV of 2022 to that point.
Colby Covington had lost his UFC welterweight title shot to Kamaru Usman at UFC 268 in November 2021. Jorge Masvidal had been TKO'd by Usman in his two title shots at UFC 251 and UFC 261. UFC 272 was a rebound bout for both — a winner-stays-relevant matchup with personal stakes that transcended the standings.
The fight was one-sided. Covington used his wrestling to control five rounds, scored multiple takedowns, and won 50-44, 50-45, and 49-46 on the scorecards. Masvidal landed a clean overhand right in round three that briefly hurt Covington but could not capitalise. The result confirmed Covington as the top non-title welterweight contender and effectively closed Masvidal's title-shot window.
Contents
• FAQ
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, March 5, 2022
📍 Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
👥 Attendance: 17,978 (full capacity)
💰 Gate: $6.4 million
📺 PPV Buys: ~800,000
📡 Broadcast: Pay-per-view (ESPN+ in USA)
🏆 Main Event: Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal — Welterweight (170 lbs, non-title, 5 rounds)
✅ Result: Covington def. Masvidal via Unanimous Decision (50-44, 50-45, 49-46)
🥇 Co-Main: Rafael dos Anjos def. Renato Moicano via Unanimous Decision (49-46 ×3) — Lightweight
The Build-Up
The personal story was the entire build. Covington and Masvidal had been best friends from 2012 to 2019, trained together at American Top Team in Florida, lived as roommates, and vacationed together. The relationship ended publicly in early 2020 — reportedly over a financial dispute — and the two spent the following two years trading personal insults. Covington had attacked Masvidal's parenting; Masvidal had publicly threatened violence. By fight night, they had not spoken in over two years.
On the in-cage side, both men were coming off losses to Kamaru Usman. Covington had lost his rematch at UFC 268 by UD; Masvidal had been finished by Usman at UFC 261 by first-round KO. Betting opened Covington at -240.
Main Event: Covington vs. Masvidal
The fight was a five-round Covington wrestling clinic. He shot for takedowns from the opening seconds, secured multiple ground positions through every round, and controlled top position for the majority of the fight. Masvidal's striking never had the space to operate.
Round three produced the only real Masvidal moment. At 1:30, Masvidal landed a clean overhand right that wobbled Covington. Covington recovered within ten seconds, shot for another takedown, and finished the round on top. Final scorecards: 50-44, 50-45, 49-46. Covington landed 154 significant strikes to Masvidal's 56 and recorded eight takedowns to Masvidal's zero.
Three weeks after the fight, Masvidal allegedly assaulted Covington outside a Miami restaurant — a public altercation that led to Masvidal's arrest on charges of aggravated battery and criminal mischief. He pleaded no contest and was sentenced to two years' probation.
Co-Main Event: Dos Anjos vs. Moicano
Rafael dos Anjos returned to lightweight after a four-year welterweight detour. He fought a measured five rounds against late-replacement Renato Moicano, used his veteran cage IQ to control distance, and won 49-46 across all three judges' cards. It was Dos Anjos's first UFC lightweight win since his title loss to Eddie Alvarez at UFC FN in July 2016.
Full Results
Main Card (Pay-Per-View)
Colby Covington def. Jorge Masvidal — Unanimous Decision (50-44, 50-45, 49-46) — Welterweight
Rafael dos Anjos def. Renato Moicano — Unanimous Decision (49-46 ×3) — Lightweight
Bryce Mitchell def. Edson Barboza — Submission (twister) — R2, 4:01 — Featherweight
Kevin Holland def. Alex Oliveira — TKO (punches) — R2, 2:08 — Welterweight
Sergey Spivak def. Greg Hardy — TKO (punches) — R1, 2:16 — Heavyweight
Preliminary Card (ESPN/ESPN+)
Marina Rodriguez def. Yan Xiaonan — Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) — Strawweight
Jalin Turner def. Jamie Mullarkey — KO (punches) — R1, 0:45 — Lightweight
Dustin Jacoby vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk — Majority Draw (29-28, 28-28, 28-28) — Light Heavyweight
Tim Elliott def. Tagir Ulanbekov — Unanimous Decision (29-28 ×3) — Flyweight
Bonuses & Awards
🥇 Performance of the Night: Bryce Mitchell — $50,000 for the second-round twister submission of Edson Barboza (only the second twister submission in UFC history).
🥇 Performance of the Night: Kevin Holland — $50,000 for the second-round TKO of Alex Oliveira.
🥇 Performance of the Night: Sergey Spivak — $50,000 for the first-round TKO of Greg Hardy.
Records & Milestones
• Highest non-title UFC PPV of 2022 to that point — ~800,000 buys driven by the personal grudge match.
• Bryce Mitchell's twister — only the second in UFC history (after Chan Sung Jung's twister at UFC FN in 2011).
• Covington's eight takedowns to Masvidal's zero — one of the most lopsided takedown differentials in modern UFC main-event history.
• Masvidal's third consecutive UFC loss — confirming the closing of his title-shot window.
• Masvidal's alleged post-fight assault of Covington three weeks later led to criminal charges and probation.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 272 is remembered as the most personal grudge match in modern UFC history — a fight between two former best friends whose relationship had ended so badly that the in-cage result was almost secondary to the personal closure. The Covington wrestling clinic and Masvidal's post-fight legal troubles made the entire 2022 narrative around both fighters as much about court dates as about championship trajectories.
For Colby Covington, the win positioned him for a third title shot. He fought Leon Edwards at UFC 296 in December 2023 for the welterweight title — a UD loss that effectively closed his championship window.
For Jorge Masvidal, UFC 272 was effectively the formal end of his championship trajectory. He went 0-2 in subsequent UFC bouts (TKO loss to Gilbert Burns at UFC 287 and UD loss to Daniel Rodriguez at UFC FN) before announcing his retirement in April 2023.
FAQ
Why did Covington and Masvidal fall out?
The friendship ended publicly in early 2020. Covington has claimed it was over a financial dispute related to a shared real-estate venture. Masvidal has claimed the dispute was about Covington's public political behaviour and personal attacks on Masvidal's family. By the time of UFC 272, the two had not spoken in over two years.
What was the Masvidal post-fight assault?
Three weeks after UFC 272 — on March 21, 2022 — Masvidal allegedly struck Covington outside a Miami restaurant. Covington reported a fractured tooth and minor injuries. Masvidal was arrested on charges of aggravated battery and criminal mischief. He pleaded no contest in November 2023 and was sentenced to two years' probation.
Did Covington and Masvidal ever fight again?
No. UFC 272 was the only meeting between them. Masvidal retired from MMA in April 2023. Final ledger: 1-0 Covington.
Did Covington ever win a UFC title?
Only the interim welterweight title. Covington held the interim UFC welterweight title in 2018 but was stripped without competing when Tyron Woodley fought next. He lost his three UFC welterweight title shots — at UFC 245 (TKO R5 to Usman), at UFC 268 (UD to Usman), and UFC 296 (UD to Leon Edwards).
Is the twister submission really that rare?
Extremely. Bryce Mitchell's twister was only the second in UFC history. The first was Chan Sung Jung's twister at UFC FN in 2011 (against Leonard Garcia). Mitchell's success against Edson Barboza, a veteran with strong defense, made it one of the most-replayed submission finishes of 2022.
How does UFC 272 compare to UFC 271?
UFC 272 drew approximately 800,000 PPV buys versus UFC 271 (550,000) three weeks earlier — a 250,000-buy jump driven entirely by the personal grudge match. The fact that a non-title PPV drew more buys than an Adesanya title defense confirmed that personal narrative still drives PPV better than any single championship matchup.
Comments