The sport of MMA is built on rivalries that transcend competition inside the Octagon. Talk about Jon Jones & Daniel Cormier, Georges St-Pierre & Nick Diaz, Conor McGregor & Dustin Poirier. But none of these rivalries have been more personal than the bad blood between former best friend and training partner duo of Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal. A tale forged on the back of two fighters once closer than brothers now turned bitter enemies!

At UFC 272, the Clovis native handed ‘Gamebred’ a one-sided beatdown but the anger hasn’t died down yet. The former BMF champ recently sat down with Ariel Helwani and didn’t hold back, unleashing a flurry of harsh words aimed at his former opponent. While speaking to Helwani, Masvidal doubled down on plans for his UFC return and how he would like to fight Leon Edwards. “Like if I get another fight with a real fighter. I would do it, you know. You know, by real I mean, you know it’s an actual fighter by training, not just f—-g influencer f–k. Leon’s a-s.”

When asked if he watched his arch-nemesis Covington’s fight with Joaquin Buckey, he lashed out and said, “Bitch a-s Colby, always, that’s another one too. Buckley busted his ass up… I wasn’t surprised. He does a lot of dr–s and s–t from what I hear man. It’s catching up. His God-given ability and he snorted it away.”

For the unversed, Masvidal retired in April 2023 after a unanimous decision loss to Gilbert Burns in his hometown of Miami. However, his fighting spirit didn’t fade with retirement. The 39-year-old soon stepped into the boxing ring against Nate Diaz, dropping a majority decision. Despite this transition to boxing, Masvidal’s desire to return to the UFC remains strong—especially given his lingering animosity toward Covington.

For those unfamiliar with their fallout, it’s a classic friend-to-enemy story. Once good friends and teammates at American Top Team, Masvidal and Covington were practically inseparable. Training together at ATT forged a strong bond between the two welterweight stars, and—believe it or not—they even shared an apartment as roommates. But as money and success entered the picture, the bromance crumbled, giving rise to one of the most bitter rivalries in MMA.

According to Masvidal, the breaking point came when Covington allegedly failed to pay his striking coach, Paulino Hernandez, for training services. Reflecting on the betrayal in 2022, Masvidal said, “I was already like, let me start separating myself from this guy little by little, and then, ‘Bam!’ Before I could even like fully (separate), he betrayed my coach. Didn’t pay him the money that was agreed upon, and I knew since then I’m gonna hurt this guy.”

Covington, of course, denied the allegations, and the bad blood only grew thicker. Eventually, the tension boiled over into the Octagon, where Covington emerged victorious. But for Masvidal, the fight wasn’t over. In a shocking twist, he attacked Covington outside a steakhouse in Miami, leaving him with a chipped tooth and a reported concussion. The incident led Covington to sue his former friend, bringing the rivalry from the cage to the courtroom.

Since then, Masvidal has continued to call out Covington for another fight, even adding Leon Edwards—another one of his rivals—into the mix. Whether or not the UFC entertains his return, it’s clear that the former BMF champ isn’t done with his old foes just yet.

Jorge Masvidal’s history of calling out Covington and Edwards

Jorge Masvidal, no stranger to bare-knuckle brawls from his Miami backyard fighting days, expressed his desire to face off against Colby Covington in BKFC. In an interview with Sportsbook Review last year in November, Masvidal didn’t hold back when discussing his targets, saying, “The two bit—s I’d want in bare knuckle both start with C for C–t. Colby and Conor. The c–t squad. The b–ch a–es. I would love them in bare knuckle, and I’ll plow their f—-g faces in.”

Masvidal also has his sights set on Edwards—this time for a real cage fight. The bad blood between the two dates back to 2019 when Masvidal notoriously sucker punched Edwards backstage at a London event, delivering the infamous “three-piece and a soda.” Although the two were scheduled to clash at UFC 269, the fight fell through when Masvidal suffered an injury. Now, with unfinished business on his mind, ‘Gamebred’ wants another shot at ‘Rocky’ inside the Octagon.

During a recent interview with Submission Radio, Masvidal didn’t hold back when assessing Edwards, labeling him as “fragile” and comparing their performances against common opponents. He said, “The opponents we’ve faced, what he’s been able to do to them, what I’ve been able to do to them for the most part, besides Usman, I’ve been able to put a lot of guys away that he fought and went to decision with. The way he takes shots and the way I take shots, he’s just fragile compared to me, and if we get in that cage, I’m willing to prove how fragile he is compared to me.”

Will Masvidal’s fighting spirit be reignited with another shot at Covington or Edwards? Whether it’s in the cage or bare-knuckle, one thing’s for sure: the former BMF champ isn’t done calling out his rivals just yet. Share your thoughts in the comments below!