UFC 272: Covington vs. Masvidal Fight Card, TV Info, Predictions and More

Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal will settle a feud that has been building for years in the main event of UFC 272 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. 

The former teammates are both coming off losses to welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. So the stakes will be high as the loser's relevancy in the division will take a sizable hit. 

The bitter rivalry won't be the only attraction for this month's pay-per-view offering. The co-main event was put together last minute but still gives us an interesting catchweight fight between Rafael dos Anjos and Renato Moicano. 

The fight was originally slated to take place between RDA and Rafael Fiziev. Unfortunately, Fiziev was forced to withdraw from the bout because of a positive COVID-19 test, and Moicano was tabbed as his replacement. 

The card also features appearances from Edson Barboza, Kevin Holland and Greg Hardy. Here's a look at the whole lineup and predictions for the biggest fights. 

UFC 272 Fight Card, Schedule and Odds

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Main Card (ESPN+ PPV at 10 p.m. ET)

• Colby Covington -335 (wager $335 to win $100) vs. Jorge Masvidal +260 (wager $100 to win $260)
• Rafael dos Anjos -170 vs. Renato Moicano +150
• Edson Barboza +135 vs. Bryce Mitchell -155
• Kevin Holland -365 vs. Alex Oliveira +280
• Serghei Spivac -195 vs. Greg Hardy +165

Prelims (ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET)

• Jalin Turner -155 vs. Jamie Mullarkey +135
• Marina Rodriguez -260 vs. Yan Xiaonan +210
• Nicolae Negumereanu +115 vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu -135
• Maryna Moroz +150 vs. Mariya Agapova -170

Early Prelims (UFC Fight Pass at 6 p.m. ET)

• Brian Kelleher +525 vs. Umar Nurmagomedov -760
• Tim Elliott +200 vs. Tagir Ulanbekov -250
• Devonte Smith -155 vs. Ludovit Klein +135
• Dustin Jacoby -200 vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk +170

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Covington Wears Down Masvidal

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With all the emotion and backstory in this fight, it's easy to buy into the idea that Masvidal can draw Covington into a firefight and score a knockout. It's Masvidal's most clear path to victory and one that we've seen from him before. 

Unfortunately for him, we've also seen him get neutralized by grapplers. 

Whether it was the back-to-back losses against Usman in which he was taken down seven times or his decision loss to Demian Maia when he was taken down four times, the highest level of grapplers have given Masvidal problems. 

Covington may not be quite as technical as those two, but he makes up for it with tenacity. Covington's pressure and volume are tough to deal with. He will fight to smother Masvidal and deny him the space he needs to land a knockout blow.  

If Masvidal can stun Covington like he did Ben Askren with a flying knee, he could make this prediction look foolish. But that's a fairly fluky thing to base a prediction on. 

Prediction: Covington via decision

Moicano's Boxing the Difference in Fight with Dos Anjos

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Renato Moicano and Rafael dos Anjos are both accomplished grapplers. Dos Anjos has great pressure wrestling. Moicano has slick submission skills. 

Oftentimes, when two grapplers get together, it's the striking that wins the fight. 

With neither fighter wanting to test the other, the one who can win on the feet has the advantage. That could be the case as this fight unfolds. Both Moicano and RDA bring things to the table as strikers as well.

As a former welterweight, Dos Anjos has stood in the cage with some powerful strikers. Moicano is coming off a win on February 12 over Alexander Hernandez in which he showcased his boxing prowess. 

In his prime, this matchup would have been prime for Dos Anjos to win. But at 37 years old with more than a year since he last beat Paul Felder in a split decision, this seems like a tall task for him. 

If Moicano's boxing is as sharp as it was a month ago, it's going to be tough for Dos Anjos to counter. 

Prediction: Moicano via decision

Spivak Puts Hardy's UFC Future into Question

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Since Greg Hardy made his UFC debut at the beginning of 2019, he has been put in positions to showcase his abilities to a big audience. The organization has given the former NFL defensive end a combination of unproven fighters and names he could build some momentum by beating. 

This fight against Sergey Spivak has the opposite feel to it.

That is, it feels like Spivak is the one getting the showcase opportunity. The Moldovan heavyweight strung together three impressive wins in a row over Carlos Felipe, Jared Vanderaa and Alexey Oleynik before losing to Tom Aspinall by first-round TKO. 

Should Hardy lose, it will be interesting to see what the UFC decides to do with him. Hardy has said this is the last fight of his current contract with the promotion, and he's lost back-to-back fights by knockout (Tai Tuivasa and Marcin Tybura). 

Spivak has the most paths to victory here. He's the more technical striker. He has the power to end the fight with strikes, and he has a decent submission game. Hardy has the athleticism and explosiveness to pull off a knockout upset, but it's not the most likely outcome. 

Prediction: Spivak via third-round TKO

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