JM

Jorge Masvidal

Welterweight
VS
CC

Colby Covington

Welterweight
DORMANTLVL 4

"What caused the rift between Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal, and how did it escalate from a gym falling-out to a headline UFC fight and a documented street altercation?"

The Colby Covington–Jorge Masvidal beef began while the two were teammates and briefly roommates at American Top Team, with reporting saying they "had a falling out" in 2018 amid gym disputes and alleged payment disagreements [1]. The rivalry was formalized in the Octagon when they headlined UFC 272 on March 5, 2022 (Covington won by unanimous decision) and then erupted off-site in a March 21, 2022 alleged assault outside Papi Steak in Miami Beach that produced police charges and later a legal plea resolution for Masvidal [2][3][4][6].

Quick Facts

Beef Started
Late 2017 (split 2018)
Status
Dormant (no reconciliation)
Key Trigger
ATT falling-out & payments
Shared Team
American Top Team
Defining Moment
UFC 272 — Mar 5, 2022
Off-site Incident
Papi Steak assault — Mar 21, 2022
Legal Outcome
Masvidal plea — Nov 6, 2023

How It Started

Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal trained together and at times lived together at American Top Team in South Florida, a relationship documented in early public photos and reporting from their camps [1]. Journalistic accounts trace the seeds of the split to late 2017 and say the pair “had a falling out” in 2018, citing locker-room friction and interpersonal disputes within ATT [1]. Reporting identifies a reported disagreement involving coach Paulino Hernandez and payment as one concrete flashpoint cited by sources as contributing to the rupture; those accounts appear repeatedly in coverage of the split [1][6]. Covington’s increasingly provocative public persona and promotional rhetoric—reported as alienating to some teammates and staff at ATT—exacerbated gym tensions, prompting staff and fighters to distance themselves per coverage of the period [1]. The relationship did not dissolve in a single public incident but through accumulated private disputes that culminated in Covington leaving American Top Team in 2020 and moving his training base to MMA Masters [1]. Early social-media posts and gym photos from 2015–2017 show a close rapport, with shared routines and teammates such as Dustin Poirier and Yoel Romero appearing in the same camps, which highlights how the split redeployed a training partnership into a personal rivalry later resolved in the cage and in the courts [1].

Timeline of Events

Timeline

Where Things Stand

The most recent legal milestone came on November 6, 2023, when Jorge Masvidal entered a no-contest plea to a misdemeanor battery charge related to the March 21, 2022 incident; two felony counts were dropped and court reporting records credit for time served [6]. Media coverage and fight records reviewed here show no documented private reconciliation between Covington and Masvidal, and outlets continue to report the relationship as adversarial rather than reconciled [1][6]. Any change to the status quo would require new public statements, a future fight booking or verified private communications to be reflected in reportage.

Different Perspectives

The Colby Covington Perspective

Covington frames the dispute as a competitive and promotional split that began with interpersonal friction at American Top Team and culminated in settling matters inside the Octagon; after UFC 272 he continued vocal promotion of his win and sought further high-profile matchups [1][2][3].

  • He and Masvidal trained and at times lived together at American Top Team before the split, so the rivalry is personal as well as professional [1].
  • Covington publicly accepted and promoted the UFC 272 booking, sending a direct message to ESPN during the matchup build: "He better f---ing show up" [1].
  • Inside the Octagon after UFC 272, Covington amplified his promotional stance with the line "I just took care of Miami street trash...", signaling he saw the fight as both competitive and reputational resolution [3].
  • Covington reported tangible injuries from the March 21, 2022 Papi Steak incident and cooperated with police filings, supporting his view that the rivalry spilled outside the sport [4][5].

The Jorge Masvidal Perspective

Masvidal's view centers on defending personal and family honor after public provocation; his social-media response and the phrase attributed to him in the police narrative indicate he says the off-site incident related to comments about his children and local reputation [4][8].

  • Masvidal remained publicly engaged after the UFC loss, posting videos challenging Covington ('show-your-face challenge') and addressing local identity and standing in Dade County [8].
  • The Miami Beach police narrative quotes Masvidal as allegedly saying, "You shouldn't have been talking about my kids," suggesting a personal trigger beyond promotional rhetoric [4].
  • He surrendered to police following the March 21 incident and later resolved the criminal case via a plea, which his legal team characterized as a favorable disposition [5][6].
  • Masvidal's public responses emphasized standing up for perceived insults and local reputation, framing the confrontation as a defensive reaction to provocation [8][4].

The American Top Team / Gym Perspective

From the gym/organization viewpoint, the dispute began as internal locker-room friction and reported payment/allegiance disputes that made a continued training partnership untenable; coverage points to consequences for team cohesion and eventual separation [1][6].

  • Journalistic accounts trace the seeds of the split to late 2017 and report a formal falling-out in 2018 while both were at American Top Team, signaling internal discord that affected team dynamics [1].
  • Reports cite a reported payment dispute involving coach Paulino Hernandez as a concrete flashpoint in gym tensions, a detail that connects personal conflict to operational disputes inside ATT [1][6].
  • ATT ownership and staff reportedly distanced from Covington as his public persona and comments caused friction, which culminated in Covington leaving ATT in 2020 and moving to MMA Masters [1].
  • The gym perspective treats the later public fights and off-site incidents as escalations of previously unresolved internal issues that became public spectacle [1][2][4].

FAQ

Are Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal still feuding?

As of the latest reporting, the public rivalry is dormant in terms of legal action after Masvidal's no-contest plea on November 6, 2023, but no documented private reconciliation has been reported; media coverage continues to treat the relationship as adversarial [6][1].

What started the beef between Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal?

Reporting traces the origin to growing interpersonal friction at American Top Team in late 2017 with a formal falling-out in 2018; coverage cites locker-room disputes and a reported payment disagreement involving coach Paulino Hernandez as key triggers [1][6].

What happened between Covington and Masvidal at UFC 272?

They headlined UFC 272 on March 5, 2022 in Las Vegas, where Colby Covington won by unanimous decision with judges' scores of 49-46, 50-44 and 50-45; Covington used his post-fight interview to continue provocative remarks that kept the rivalry in public view [2][3].

What occurred outside Papi Steak on March 21, 2022?

Miami Beach police reports and contemporaneous coverage state Jorge Masvidal allegedly approached Colby Covington outside Papi Steak and punched him twice, causing a fractured/chipped front tooth and a wrist abrasion; Masvidal surrendered to police and faced aggravated battery and criminal mischief counts initially [4][8].

What was the legal outcome of the Papi Steak incident?

On November 6, 2023 Jorge Masvidal entered a no-contest plea to a misdemeanor battery charge related to the March 21, 2022 incident; two felony counts were dropped and reporting notes he received credit for time served under the plea agreement [6].

Did either fighter publicly comment about the other after the incidents?

Yes. Covington made provocative post-fight remarks at UFC 272 and was recorded speaking to police after the Papi Steak incident; Masvidal posted a 'show-your-face challenge' video after the incident and his attorney characterized the later court case disparagingly in social posts [3][7][8][6].

When did Covington leave American Top Team?

Media reports place Covington's departure from American Top Team in 2020 after ongoing disputes that began in 2017–2018, after which he moved his training base to MMA Masters [1].

Were injuries reported from the Papi Steak altercation?

Yes. Covington told police and outlets that he suffered a fractured or chipped front tooth and an abrasion to his wrist, details that appear in police narratives and news reporting about the March 21, 2022 incident [4][7].

Sources

  1. [1]Masvidal-Covington set to headline UFC 272ESPN
  2. [2]UFC 272: Covington vs MasvidalUFC
  3. [3]Colby Covington mauls Jorge Masvidal, calls out Dustin Poirier after dominant win in UFC 272 main eventMMA Fighting
  4. [4]Colby Covington pressed charges against Jorge Masvidal, told police his $90,000 Rolex was damaged in alleged assaultMMA Fighting
  5. [5]The Arrest of Jorge Masvidal (video / police interview excerpt)Miami Beach Police Department (archived video on Wikimedia Commons)
  6. [6]Jorge Masvidal pleads no contest to misdemeanor battery chargeESPN
  7. [7]Colby Covington, Jorge Masvidal get in altercation in MiamiSports Illustrated
  8. [8]UFC Fighter Jorge Masvidal Takes His Beef With Colby Covington To The StreetsCBS Miami