"Gonna beat every record that doesn't involve McGregor" - Chael Sonnen claims Jorge Masvidal vs. Colby Covington will be "biggest fight of the year"
Chael Sonnen believes Jorge Masvidal vs. Colby Covington is going to be the biggest fight of the year.
'From best friends to bitter rivals' is the tagline associated with the American Top Team implosion between Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington. They've been wanting to settle the score for well over a year now ever since the friendship between them broke down. They'll get the chance to do just that at UFC 272 in Las Vegas.
Both men are coming off the back of defeats to Kamaru Usman and both are hungry to get back in the win column. Beyond that, there's a personal rivalry here that extends beyond simply wanting to get back into title contention.
Chael Sonnen, who made a career out of self-promotion to go alongside his fighting ability, has high expectations for what's ahead:
“You are going to see the biggest fight of the year. In ten days you are going to see the most watched fight in the last three years. I’m taking McGregor fights out of it, it’s like when Lesnar fought - did so well you gotta set it aside. But there’s no belt on the line. Nobody tunes in to watch you pursue a goal, or a dream, that’s amateur sport. That’s what the Olympics do every four years, that’s what the NCAA does.”
“If you are to look at anything you’re learning from Masvidal and Covington, it’s that nothing draws and works and sells like an actual grudge. Nothing.”
Check out Sonnen's comments here:
Jorge Masvidal vs. Colby Covington - comparing UFC records
Neither Masvidal nor Covington have been able to hold a UFC title in the undisputed sense. However, they've both had a championship put over their shoulder.
'Gamebred' managed to capture the BMF title when he beat Nate Diaz, whereas 'Chaos' became the new interim 170-pound king when he defeated Rafael dos Anjos.
Masvidal currently has 20 UFC appearances to his name. In that tenure, he's gone 12-8 - leading to Covington dubbing him a journeyman.
On the flip side, Colby has 14 UFC fights on his record with an 11-3 run. Two of his defeats, like Masvidal, came against current champion Kamaru Usman.