UFC News & FeaturesRelentless Colby Covington Earns Decision Over Ex-Teammate Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272
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After plenty of verbal blows from both parties in the months leading up to their bout, Colby Covington settled the score with Jorge Masvidal where it mattered most.
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There was no secret to Covington’s game plan, as the former NCAA All-American wrestler grounded Masvidal (35-16, 12-9 UFC) on multiple occasions while threatening with chokes against the fence and landing ground-and-pound from top position. Masvidal battled diligently to return to his feet, and while he had a few fleeting moments of success — including a right hand that buckled Covington in Round 4 — he was unable to keep his opponent at bay for any significant period of time.
Covington’s gas tank never failed him, as he blended striking and
grappling effectively and closed the show with a dominant fifth
round, eventually transitioning to mount in the waning moments.
There was no burying of the hatchet between the two men in the
aftermath, and Covington set his sights on another ATT standout
when he called for a matchup with Dustin
Poirier in his post-fight interview.
Masvidal has lost three straight for the first time in his professional tenure.
Still chirping before the decision 🤬 #UFC272 pic.twitter.com/TcXdWuPaNG
— UFC (@ufc) March 6, 2022
Dos Anjos Methodically Brutalizes ‘Moicano’
It wasn’t the opponent Rafael dos Anjos expected, but that didn’t stop the former lightweight champion from putting on a dominant performance.
Dos Anjos (31-13, 20-11 UFC) methodically battered short-notice foe Renato Carneiro (16-5-1, 8-5 UFC), winning via unanimous decision in their 160-pound catchweight, co-main event clash. Dos Anjos received tallies of 49-45, 49-44 and 50-44 from the cageside judges in his first fight since November 2020. “Moicano,” less than a month removed from a win over Alexander Hernandez at UFC 271, agreed to step in as a replacement for Rafael Fiziev on less than a week’s notice. The bout was scheduled for five rounds because dos Anjos vs. Fiziev was originally slated to headline UFC Fight Night 201 a couple of weeks prior.
Dos Anjos weathered a strong push from Carneiro early in Round 1 and gradually imposed his will from there. The Brazilian veteran relied primarily on punching combinations, takedowns and purposeful ground-and-pound to do his work. The Nova Uniao product nearly finished the fight in Round 3, when a head kick put his opponent on wobbly legs. Carneiro would not succumb to the follow-up ground-and-pound, however. The fourth frame also nearly brought a stoppage when dos Anjos sliced Carneiro’s already swollen left eye with vicious elbows from top position.
After a brief examination from the cageside doctor and referee Marc Goddard, Carneiro was allowed to come out for the final frame. The former featherweight showed plenty of spirit in the last five minutes, baiting dos Anjos into a slugfest down the stretch that saw both men land their share of offense — including several solid uppercuts by “Moicano.” Still, it wasn’t nearly enough to erase the lead dos Anjos had already built on the scorecards.
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Mitchell Drowns Barboza, Wins 15th Straight
Takedowns, positional control and ground-and-pound — along with a surprising knockdown — carried Bryce Mitchell to a lopsided unanimous decision triumph over Edson Barboza in a featherweight affair. All three cageside judges scored the fight for the 27-year-old Sherwood Ark., native: 30-25, 30-26 and 30-27.
“Thug Nasty” absorbed some heavy inside leg kicks in the early moments of Round 1, but he turned the tide for good when he put Barboza on his seat with a left hand. That allowed Mitchell (15-0, 6-0 UFC) to secure his first takedown of the fight, and he spent much of the rest of the round landing punches and elbows from top position before Barboza (22-11, 16-11) returned to his feet with less than a minute to go.
That proved to be a recurring theme, as Mitchell grounded the Brazilian within the first minute of the next two frames, where he advanced from one dominant position to another and landed significant ground-and-pound — including elbows that cut Barboza near his left eye.
Barboza is now 2-3 since transitioning to 145 pounds from lightweight.
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Holland Batters Oliveira in Welterweight Debut
Kevin Holland enjoyed a successful welterweight debut, as he rallied for a technical knockout victory against Brazilian veteran Alex Oliveira in a featured 170-pound pairing. Holland brought the show to a close 38 seconds into the second frame, sending the Brazilian “Cowboy” to his fourth consecutive defeat.
Oliveira (22-12-1, 11-10 UFC) put together a strong start in Round 1, when he landed several damaging leg kicks, secured multiple takedowns and recovered to stun Holland (22-7, 9-4, 1 NC UFC) with a right hand after being rocked during a spirited exchange. Oliveira ended the round with a back take and a rear-naked choke attempt, but Holland survived without issue.
Holland wasted little time shifting momentum in Round 2, as a short right hand sent his opponent tumbling to the canvas near the fence. “Trailblazer” attacked with a purpose on a reeling Oliveira, unloading with punches and hammerfists from top position before transitioning to elbows to bring the contest to a close.
Spivak Grounds, Pummels Hardy
Sergey Spivak had no trouble against former NFL Pro Bowler Greg Hardy, as he overwhelmed his foe en route to a relatively swift technical knockout victory. The 27-year-old Moldovan ended Hardy’s night with a hailstorm of ground-and-pound from mount 2:16 into Round 1. Spivak (14-3, 5-3 UFC) has been victorious in four of his last five outings, while Hardy has lost three straight for the first time in his MMA career.
After absorbing a few substantial leg kicks from Hardy, Spivak closed the distance and executed a hip toss to get his man to the canvas. When Hardy (7-5, 4-5, 1 NC UFC) attempted to regain his feet, “The Polar Bear” used a half nelson to power his way into full mount. From there, it was academic, and Hardy could do nothing but cover up against the finishing barrage, which appeared to briefly render the American Top Team member unconscious.
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