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During a recent interview, Jorge Masvidal spoke out and indicated that his first impression of Colby Covington's overall fighting ability wasn't a positive one.
The two welterweights spent years together at American Top Team, but Masvidal was already an established member of the team a long time prior to Covington's arrival.
When asked what his first impression of his former friend was, Masvidal had this to say:
"Every time there's a recruitment class, I would take the guys out to eat or things like that. So, I got to meet Colby and I was like man, the guy could wrestle, you know. [He] couldn't do a damn thing but wrestle at the time, you know."
While he has evolved to incorporate striking and other aspects of martial arts to his overall game, Covington remains a standout wrestler who poses a serious threat to anybody on the mat.
Joining ATT in 2011, Covington transitioned straight from college wrestling and found a home at Dan Lambert's gym. His nine-year stay saw him make a name for himself within the sport and even helped him earn an interim UFC welterweight title.
Check out Masvidal's thoughts on Colby Covington in his interview with ESPN below (3:22):
Jorge Masvidal's career with American Top Team
Joining ATT in early 2007, Jorge Masvidal has seen immense success during his time with the camp.
Despite never holding an official title with a major promotion, 'Gamebred' has managed to make a successful career for himself. The former Strikeforce lightweight title contender is a pioneer in MMA and even competed in the first ever Bellator event.
With almost ten years under his belt in the UFC, Masvidal has fought to beat some high-level competition inside the octagon. Scoring a brabo choke submission over Michael Chiesa and earning finishes over Donald Cerrone, Ben Askren, and Darren Till are all major highlights on the Floridian's record.
His striking was also showcased against Nate Diaz. A doctor stoppage victory over the Stockton-native saw Masvidal attain the first and only BMF title in UFC history.
Jorge Masvidal looks set to put on a show at the T-Mobile Arena when he faces his arch-rival on March 5.
