Jorge Masvidal reveals the backstory behind Colby Covington allegedly refusing UFC fight offers for over a year

Colby Covington has been making headlines recently since his return to the octagon. He served as a substitute fighter for the UFC 286 welterweight title match between Usman and Edwards.

Covington's last appearance in the UFC was at UFC 272, where he faced off against his former teammate and arc-nemesis, Jorge Masvidal. However, 'Chaos' has remained on the sidelines for almost a year now since his last octagon appearance.

Appearing in a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Masvidal shed some light on why the 35-year-old was out of the fight scene for over a year. According to Masvidal, Covington had been refusing UFC fight offers for over a year, citing a brain injury supposedly caused by Masvidal:

"Colby was saying he had a brain injury, you know. With his brain injury allegedly because of me, you know. So, it was fun to hear all this bullshit man. He was just trying to f**king sue me up there, you know. Saying numerous things... This guy is like delusional bro, this guy is going on saying one thing and does the complete opposite."

The Miami-based fighter dismissed Covington's claims as unfounded and simply a ploy to sue him and further said:

There is nobody in this sport that I firmly dislike but him. He is that fellow that I f**king... he's not my cup of tea, bro"

Masvidal made it clear that he has no respect for Covington and that he is the only fighter in the sport whom he firmly dislikes.

Check out Masvidal's interview in the video below [10:30 mark]:

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What went wrong between Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington?

Appearing on a recent episode of the JRE podcast, Jorge Masvidal spoke of his tumultuous relationship with Colby Covington, accusing him of showing his true colors for the money.

The 38-year-old said:

"I basically fed this dude for a year, lived on my couch and gave him a dollar because he didn't have a job with a broken hand. He knows the relationship I have with my kids and you're trying to use that against me, you are a piece of shit."

Check out Masvidal's discussion of the reason behind his animosity towards Colby Covington below:

The animosity between the two fighters is well-known in the UFC community, with both exchanging heated words both in and out of the octagon. In their first meeting at UFC 272, Colby Covington emerged victorious via unanimous decision.

Days after the fight, the two also indulged in a street brawl outside a restaurant in Miami, Florida. Masvidal was arrested and charged with aggravated assault against the 'Chaos'.

Although Masvidal has been surrounded by controversy, he is preparing himself for his upcoming match against Gilbert Burns, a former welterweight title challenger, at UFC 287. Burns currently holds the No.5-ranked position in the 170-pound division, while Masvidal is positioned at No.11-ranked.