UFC 272 talking points: Five things we learned as Covington beats bitter rival Masvidal
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Former team-mates Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal refused to shake hands following the fight
It was a night to remember at UFC 272 in Las Vegas as Colby Covington outpointed bitter rival Jorge Masvidal over five rounds in the main event.
Ultimately, Covington's wrestling was the difference as he controlled Masvidal throughout the welterweight bout to secure a unanimous decision win (49-46, 50-44, 50-45).
We look at what's next for both men, as well as the stories on the night including former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov being inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.
Here are five things we learned at UFC 272.
Covington has the last laugh
Whether you love him or hate him, there's no denying that Covington is one of the best fighters in the world, as shown by his performance against Masvidal.
Covington, 34, who was a heavy favourite with bookmakers before the fight, showed his dominance with his wrestling and Masvidal, 37, can have no complaints about the loss.
Former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo praised Covington on Twitter for his flawless performance.
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Meanwhile, legendary boxing trainer Teddy Atlas highlighted Covington's improved striking.
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Social media star Logan Paul was excited for the main event.
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While Drake made a big bet.
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Covington's win settled a bitter rivalry with Masvidal, one that dated back to the days when they were both training at the same MMA gym - American Top Team.
What's next for Covington?
Following the win, Covington called out former team-mate and interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier.
"I just took care of Miami street trash, now it's time to take care of Louisiana swamp trash," Covington told Joe Rogan in the post-fight interview.
Poirier, who has openly discussed a move to the welterweight division, reacted on social media.
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Covington, who has 17 wins and three defeats on his professional record, has beaten a number of fighters he once trained with at American Top Team including Masvidal, Tyron Woodley and Robbie Lawler.
It is unclear whether the UFC will book a fight between Covington and Poirier but that's a matchup which again favours Covington.
How do you see a fight between Covington and Poirier going? Get involved on social media using #bbcmma.
What's next for Masvidal?
Masvidal has now suffered three successive defeats with his last win coming in November 2019 against Nate Diaz.
Despite this, 'Gamebred' is still one of the biggest names in the sport and signed a lucrative contract extension with the UFC earlier this week.
UFC heavyweight Tanner Boser believes Masvidal v Conor McGregor makes sense.
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Would Masvidal v McGregor be the biggest UFC event of all time?
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And who would you like to see Masvidal fight next?
Moicano's 'unnecessary' damage
The co-main event at UFC 272 was an all-Brazilian fight between Rafael dos Anjos and Renato Moicano at a catchweight of 160lbs.
Moicano was a late replacement for Rafael Fiziev, who had to pull out on late notice after contracting Covid-19.
The 32-year-old fought valiantly and showed heart against Dos Anjos, but took a lot of damage in the latter rounds.
The doctor, referee or Moicano's cornermen should have stopped the fight according to UFC commentators Joe Rogan and Michael Bisping, who argued that Moicano was seriously beaten up and Dos Anjos totally dominant.
UFC bantamweight and highly touted prospect Adrian Yanez agreed.
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However, UFC legend and former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz said he believes the fighter has the final say.
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Fan-favourite Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson applauded the heart of Moicano.
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UFC legend Nurmagomedov confirmed for Hall of Fame
Former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is set to be inducted into the 2022 UFC Hall of Fame.
The 33-year-old Russian, who retired after beating Justin Gaethje in 2020 to extend his perfect record to 29-0, is considered one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time.
The Hall of Fame ceremony is likely to take place during International Fight Week in Las Vegas at the end of June.
During his run with the UFC from 2012 to 2020, Khabib comfortably beat some of the biggest names in the sport including Dustin Poirier and McGregor.
His feud with McGregor became established as one of the all-time time biggest rivalries in combat sports and their fight at UFC 229 remains officially the biggest-selling fight in the company's history.
His induction was inevitable and is now official.