Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington can't agree on much, but both welterweight contenders promised plenty of violence when they meet on Saturday in the main event of UFC 272. Their long-awaited showdown anchors the pay-per-view portion of the main UFC 272 fight card (10 p.m. ET) from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The former teammates and training partners exchanged a plethora of personal insults and accusations during a wild press conference on Thursday, when they gave varying accounts of how their friendship turned into a fierce rivalry.
Covington is a -310 favorite (risk $310 to win $100), while Masvidal is offered at +255 in the latest UFC 272: Masvidal vs. Covington odds from Caesars Sportsbook. In the co-main event, lightweight contenders take the spotlight as Rafael dos Anjos (-165) takes on Renato Moicano (+145). Before making any UFC 272: Masvidal vs. Covington picks, make sure you check out the MMA betting advice and predictions from SportsLine expert Andrew Gombas.
Gombas is a former NCAA wrestler who taps into his experience on the mat to dissect the X's and O's of MMA matchups in a manner that sets him apart from other MMA analysts. He started the MMA handicapping service MMA Knockout Bets in 2018 and has shown a profit every year since.
With more than 1,400 selections tracked by the third-party monitoring service Bet MMA, he has shown a 6 percent return on investment for his followers. Over the past two years, his followers have netted a profit of more than $10,000.
Gombas kicked off the 2022 UFC season in January by informing SportsLine members to back Calvin Kattar (+200) against Giga Chikadze (-240) in a matchup of ranked featherweight contenders in the main event. Kattar dominated wire to wire to give Gombas' followers an easy winner. Anyone who has followed him already has seen massive returns.
Now, with the UFC 272 date in sight, Gombas has studied the card from every angle and released his top MMA picks and expert analysis. You can only see Gombas' UFC 272 picks at SportsLine.
UFC 272: Masvidal vs. Covington preview
Masvidal served as a mentor of sorts to Covington when both were at American Top Team. Masvidal already was an accomplished MMA pro, while Covington was looking to break through and make a name for himself. The veteran fighter helped the younger pupil with housing, food and coaching and at one point they considered each other close friends.
Their rift started about five years ago when Covington (16-3) defeated Demain Maia and started gaining recognition as a top welterweight contender and outlandish alter ego that saw him hurling insults at his opponents.
Ultimately, Covington and Masvidal (35-15) were kicked out of American Top Team for breaking rules regarding the public disparaging of teammates, though Masvidal has since returned.
Both made their way to the top of the division, but found similar misfortune against Usman, with one stoppage loss and one decision loss each in two tries apiece against the champion. With a third title shot unlikely in the near future for either fighter, Covington and Masvidal decided now is the time to settle their beef in the Octagon. You can only see who to back at UFC 272 at SportsLine.
UFC 272 predictions
We'll share one of Gombas' UFC 272 predictions here: He is siding with Greg Hardy (+180) to pull the upset of Sergey Spivak (-210) in a battle of heavyweight prospects.
Hardy (7-4-1), 33, is a former all-pro NFL defensive lineman who turned to mixed martial arts following the conclusion of his career on the gridiron. He worked his way through the ranks and earned a UFC roster spot following two victories on "Dana White's Contender Series." He has shown punching power and resilience while going 4-4-1 in nine UFC outings, but has lost back-to-back fights. His last appearance ended in a stoppage defeat against Tai Tuivasa, who is now ranked No. 3 in the division.
Spivak (13-3) is a versatile fighter who has notched six submissions and five knockouts among his 13 professional MMA victories. He has gone 4-3 in the UFC, with all the losses coming against upper-tier opponents. He saw a three-fight winning streak come to a close with a first-round stoppage loss against surging contender Tom Aspinall in September.
"Spivak will need to look to get this fight to the ground. He has decent takedowns, but his top control isn't great. Hardy is difficult to take down because of his strength, size and athleticism. I believe he is going to land on Spivak and put him out," Gombas told SportsLine.
How to make UFC 272 selections
Gombas also has strong picks for Masvidal vs. Covington and other fights on the UFC 272. He's also backing a fighter who is "better everywhere" to emerge with a dominant victory. Those UFC 272 picks are only available at SportsLine.
Who wins Masvidal vs. Covington? And which fighter is a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed top picks on UFC 272, all from the insider who's up more than $10,000 on MMA picks the past two years, and find out.
UFC 272 odds, fight card
Colby Covington (-310) vs. Jorge Masvidal (+255)
Rafael dos Anjos (-165) vs. Renato Moicano (+145)
Bryce Mitchell (-150) vs. Edson Barboza (+130)
Kevin Holland (-300) vs. Alex Oliveira (+250)
Sergey Spivak (-210) vs. Greg Hardy (+180)
Marina Rodriguez (-280) vs. Xiaonan Yan (+240)
Mariya Agapova (-190) vs. Maryna Moroz (+170)
Jalin Turner (-145) vs. Jamie Mullarkey (+125)
Kennedy Nzechukwu (-140) vs. Nicolae Negumereanu (+120)
Tagir Ulanbekov (-240) vs. Tim Elliott (+200)
Dustin Jacoby (-190) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (+170)
Umar Nurmagomedov (-600) vs. Brian Kelleher (+450)
Devonte Smith (-200) vs. Ludovit Klein (+175)
