UFC 272 is just hours away, and the promotion’s two best pound-for-pound fighters believe they know who will win the hate-filled main event between Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington.
UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and his middleweight counterpart Israel Adesanya are two of the best fighters on the planet. They both have been dominant champions and have multiple title defenses under their belt. They each also are two of the smartest minds in the sport, and when they have an opinion on a fight, you should listen.
TMZ Sports recently asked both titlists who they thought would win tonight’s main event inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Surprisingly, each did not stay neutral and made definitive choices. However, both did not come to a consensus on the winner.
Kamaru Usman makes pick for Masvidal vs Covington
First Usman, the man who has fought and beat both Masvidal and Covington twice each in defense of his title. When asked to make a pick, unsurprisingly, he leaned in the direction of the man who gave him tough fights in both of their encounters: Covington.
- Colby Covington record: 16-3 (4 knockouts, 4 submissions)
“I think it’s an incredible fight. I think both guys are skilled. And both guys know each other. But I just think Colby has a little bit more tools to be able to win,” Usman said. “He has the wrestling, he has the cardio edge, and his striking is not that bad. Of course, the speed advantage I would give to Masvidal but I just think Colby has a few more ways to win.”
Israel Adesanya has respect for both men in the UFC 272 main event
Adesanya sees things going a little bit differently. While he respects the skills of the one-time interim champion, he believes the 37-year-old’s experience, fight IQ, and boxing will be key factor in this battle of friends turned enemies.
- Jorge Masvidal record: 35-15 (16 knockouts, 2 submissions)
“Colby, he’s a guy who pushes a high pace. Spastic striking, but it works for him. He’s tenacious and it’s gotten him this far. Until he ran into Usman,” Adesanya explained. “But Jorge, a veteran of this game, fought everywhere, high fight IQ, I feel like he can get this done. I hear people say Colby is just gonna wrestle f*ck him and this and that, but when you’ve trained with someone you kind of know. You kind of know who’s better at what. And I think Jorge’s smarts are gonna prevail in this fight. His smarts and his striking are gonna prevail.”
UFC 272 kicks off tonight at 6 pm ET with the early prelims on UFC Fight Pass and ESPN+. The core prelims follow at 8 PM ET on ESPN and ESPN+. Then the main card PPV, for $74.99, commences at 10 PM ET exclusively on ESPN+.
