New FSM Essential Recap: UFC 272

New FSM Essential Recap: UFC 272

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UFC 272 is in the books, and so is the long-awaited grudge match between former friends.

 

The headliner pit former friends Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal against one another to settle the score and put their feud to rest.

In a classic clash of striker vs grappler, Covington utilized his grappling background to cruise to a dominant five-round victory. Colby (17-3 ) proved that he is clearly the second-best fighter in the welterweight division and will be a tough cookie to get past if one looks for their shot at the title held by Kamaru Usman.

Covington inflicted his will and game plan with relative ease from opening to the final bell. He was pressing forward, keeping his opponent backing up, getting takedowns, mixing in strikes, and never allowing any space for time to recover. At the start of every round, Colby would charge the center of the cage to establish his position in the middle so it would be less distance to press Jorge against the cage for takedowns. Colby’s blend of strikes mixed with takedowns allows him to predict where the fight occurs.

As things start to turn when exchanging strikes, Colby goes in for a takedown. When he’s unable to get the takedown, he stands and bangs with you, which is a surprise to many foes as they are so aware of the wrestling abilities that he can land several good punches. When the fight would go to the mat, Colby showed the skills that made him a two-time All-American in wrestling at Oregon State. Maintaining maximum control, threatening with rear-naked chokes, and constantly adjusting to any moves Jorge went for, Colby was in complete control for nearly twenty-five minutes.

 

Covington is controversial with the antics and the character he plays to build up a fight.

 

Colby's message was clear after leaving the Octagon 👀 #UFC272 pic.twitter.com/ajbvu2z0Gm

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 6, 2022

 

But once those cage doors close and the bell rings, Colby is without a doubt one of the best fighters on the roster with the skill set to put many opponents in a bad situation across from him on any given night.

Masvidal (35-16 ) gave a valiant effort but could not find any space and rhythm to set up his shots. It was clear early on that Jorge wanted to attack the legs of Colby in an attempt to slow down his forward pressure, but he was able to land enough kicks to make a mark consistently. He was constantly being pressed against the cage, needing to defend takedowns, carrying the weight of another fighter on him in an attempt to get up from the mat.

Jorge just never found enough opportunities to turn the tide in his favor. His most significant moments came when he landed a short elbow in the second round that caused a small cut on Colby’s eyebrow and a short left hook in the fourth that dropped Colby and seemed to have him shaken up but was unable to press forward and capitalize.

 

It was a rough night for Jorge, who now has to go back to the drawing board and figure out his next move. Failing on two title shots and now losing to the clear-cut second-best fighter in the division, he will have to work his way through several more wins before he can find himself in another title shot position. At 37 years old and 50+ fights under his belt, how much more does Gamebred have in the tank?

A rematch with Nate Diaz? A showdown with Conor McGregor? Eventually, a showdown with Leon Edwards? There are options on the table if he wants to continue to fight. There’s also the chance he retires and ventures off into other avenues. Either way, Jorge is a true warrior and has made his mark on the fight game business.

For Covington, in an unusual turn of events, despite being 0-2 against the champion Usman, he might’ve earned himself a third title shot. He is clearly the second-best at 170lbs. He just dominated one of the top-ranked fighters in impressive fashion. Now, what’s next? Colby doesn’t want to chance his possible title shot, but his choice of other opponents, not the champion, is slim. Unless a fighter like Dustin Poirier moves up from 155lbs, Colby might have to wait to see who rises up as a new challenger. An exciting bout was announced for April between Gilbert Burns and Khamzat Chimaev. The winner of that bout could get a title shot while the loser takes on Covington. Time will tell what’s next for Colby.

 

Another excellent fight card is in the books as the UFC continues to entertain fantastic showings one after the other. Whether we are watching champions, former champions, title contenders, or up and comers, the UFC will continue to give us entertaining events to enjoy.

 

Be sure to check out franchisesportsmedia.com for all your latest in MMA, Las Vegas sports news, events, previews, recaps, and my weekly show, Kalani’s Corner.

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-Kalani Lua – Franchise Sports Media

Follow Kalani on Twitter @klua11

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