Jorge Masvidal has resolved his legal battle with Colby Covington, pleading guilty to a misdemeanor battery charge, but he still intends to confront him in the future for lying and pressing charges, even if it is outside of the cage.
Jorge Masvidal has put an end to his legal battle with Colby Covington in court, but that doesn’t mean their feud is over. After pleading guilty to misdemeanor battery and avoiding jail time, Masvidal spoke to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour to express his satisfaction with the resolution. He criticized Covington for pursuing felony charges against him, while also accusing him of lying about the number of people involved in their altercation. Masvidal claimed it was just the two of them and accused Covington of hiding and calling the cops after the incident.
The animosity between Masvidal and Covington dates back to their friendship and training partnership at American Top Team, which eventually turned sour. They faced each other in the main event of UFC 272, where Covington secured a unanimous decision victory. However, their conflict escalated outside of the Octagon, resulting in Masvidal attacking Covington outside a Miami steakhouse, causing minor injuries. Masvidal hinted that their paths will cross again in the future, whether in a cage or elsewhere, to settle the score for the damage done to their reputations and the charges Covington pressed against him.
While Masvidal admitted that he hasn’t encountered Covington on the streets of Miami since the incident, he implied that tension still lingers. He mocked Covington for being inactive on social media and warned him not to make any false moves if they ever cross paths again. Masvidal emphasized that he had warned Covington about involving his children in their conflict, and threatened further consequences if that line were to be crossed again. He made it clear that he’s retired but still cherishes the thrill of fighting, indicating his willingness to engage in physical confrontation with Covington without involving others or the police.
As for Covington, he has his own challenges to focus on as he prepares for a title shot against Leon Edwards at UFC 296 in December. Meanwhile, Masvidal has retired from MMA and has been occupied with building his Gamebred Fighting promotion. Despite his retirement, Masvidal expressed his passion for fighting and his readiness to confront Covington, whom he labeled as a “state-sponsored snitch-b****.” It remains to be seen if their paths will cross again and if the tension between them will escalate beyond the courtroom.