Belal Muhammad explains why Jorge Masvidal was drained against Colby Covington

At UFC 272, Colby Covington prevailed in his grudge bout against Jorge Masvidal. They were once inseparable best friends while working their way up the UFC ranks, but their friendship soured when each fighter accused the other of jealousy and treachery.

Fight fans were fully immersed in the rivalry's development owing to the captivating storyline that functioned as the fight's narrative. The bout served as a rare non-title main event, and both combatants were motivated to emerge victorious. Nonetheless, Covington employed his famed cardio and superior wrestling skills to rally for a decisive victory.

No.4-ranked UFC welterweight contender Belal Muhammad, who's knocking on the door of a title shot next, weighed in on Jorge Masvidal's crushing defeat to Colby Covington at UFC 272.

According to Muhammad, anything that depletes a competitor's emotional reserves might cause them to become emotionally and physically weary.

Muhammad wrote on Twitter:

"Colby fight he fought with emotion and that drains your cardio more than anything."

On April 8, Jorge Masvidal will return to the octagon for the first time in months when he faces Gilbert Burns at UFC 287. Despite losing his last three fights, including two against Kamaru Usman, 'Gamebred' is keen to reestablish his status as a welterweight title challenger.

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Jorge Masvidal discusses the impact of Colby Covington's lawsuit on his career

In March, after their bout at UFC 272, Jorge Masvidal was involved in a physical altercation with Colby Covington outside a Miami restaurant. Masvidal pleaded not guilty to a single count of aggravated violence resulting in serious bodily harm and criminal mischief. 'Gamebred' was detained by Miami Beach police two days later and booked on March 23.

Covington cracked a tooth and received a wrist abrasion, according to the police report. He claimed that Masvidal approached him from behind and struck him twice in the face outside of Papi Steakhouse.

Masvidal was asked about his prolonged hiatus by Ariel Helwani in a recent interview on The MMA Hour. In response, he explained how the court case has impacted his MMA career:

"Injuries and felonies and lawsuits and a bunch of crazy s**t. I just didn't want to go into a fight with all this outside f**king bulls**t on my head... Not having so much clouds over my f**king head before I step back in that ring."

Masvidal added:

"He [Covington] is a little b**ch, basically. That's the only thing. His blood type came back 'super b**ch.' I got these court cases and s**t, man. I don't know what's going on. I can't really talk about it too much because my trial's coming up and I can get in trouble, but all I can say is Colby's a f**king b**ch."

Catch Masvidal's comments below (52:45):