Covington's got more to lose - Dan Hardy compares "cult hero" Jorge Masvidal to Conor McGregor and the Diaz brothers in regards to irrelevant win-loss ratio

Dan Hardy believes Jorge Masvidal's popularity doesn't depend on his record as a professional fighter anymore.

Comparing Masvidal to the likes of Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz, Hardy told Submission Radio that 'Gamebred' has achieved "cult hero" status in the MMA community and is immune from the scrutiny of his win/loss ratio.

According to Hardy, Colby Covington has more to lose when he squares off against former teammate Masvidal at UFC 272. Covington wants to compete for the title and for that, he must beat Masvidal on March 5. If he fails, 'Chaos' isn't likely to get a title shot anytime soon.

Hardy said:

"People don't tune in to watch Masvidal succeed, they watch they watch him fight that's what they tune in... It doesn't matter who he's fighting, it doesn't matter what weight class he's in, you could make that Conor McGregor fight after he's had 10 losses in a row and people are still tuning to watch it because he's you know he's a he's a tribal leader, he's a cult hero, same as Nate Diaz and Nick Diaz."

Hardy explained that fans tune in to watch Jorge Masvidal fight, not because of his record, but because of his entertaining performances inside the octagon.

The Englishman believes that even with a few more losses on his record, Masvidal could be a part of super-fights against stars like McGregor and Diaz. That, however, isn't the case for Covington, claims Hardy.

"Covington, in my opinion is the one that's got a lot more to lose because he's the one that's still trying to compete for the belt."

Check out Hardy's breakdown of the UFC 272 main event below:

---

Dan Hardy feels Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington might shake hands following upcoming fight

Although the friendship between Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington is unlikely to be revived, Hardy feels the pair could end up shaking hands following their upcoming clash on March 5.

Having previously trained together for years at the ATT gym, 'Gamebred' and 'Chaos' are now set to meet inside the octagon.

If the fight goes the distance and both fighters earn each other's respect inside the octagon, Hardy feels they might bury the hatchet by shaking hands after the scrap. Having said that, 'The Outlaw' feels they'll surely never be friends again.

UFC 272 will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, on March 5. Besides Mavidal vs. Covington as the main event, the pay-per-view will be co-headlined by a catchweight encounter between Renato Moicano and former lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos.