UFC 272 Recap: Covington Scores Unanimous Decision Win Over Masvidal

UFC 272 will be remembered for Colby Covington’s dominance, as he puts Jorge Masvidal in his rear view and begins his pursuit of Dustin Poirier.

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Colby Covington’s performance at UFC 272 resonated as a significant reminder of his strengths—and weakness—as a fighter.

Covington (16–3) defeated Masvidal (35–15) by unanimous decision in the main event, controlling every round and leaving no doubt that he was the superior mixed martial artist.

An elite wrestler, the knock on Covington is that his style lacks excitement. To combat that, he created a wildly controversial Donald Trump-loving persona, which helped him finally rise to prominence in MMA. Listening to the boos from the crowd that packed the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas after each takedown on Masvidal, it is clear that Covington remains among the most talented fighters in the world, as well as evident why he felt compelled to create such an attention-grabbing character.

Showcasing his superior wrestling, Covington clearly held the advantage on the mat. A major surprise was revealed when Covington displayed he was also the better striker. And he simply wore out Masvidal, who landed one right hook flush on the chin in the third round—but by that point, Covington had already exhausted him to the point where he was too fatigued to go for the kill.

During his post-fight interview in the Octagon, Covington called out Dustin Poirier. That is a matchup that favors Covington, who needs a string of wins before he can re-enter the discussion for a title shot against welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.

While the focus of 272 was on the main event, Bryce Mitchell looked outstanding in his unanimous decision victory against the great Edson Barboza.

Mitchell (15–0) forcefully punched his ticket into the top ten of the featherweight division by dismantling Barboza (22–11), who will certainly fall from his No. 10 ranking. All three rounds belonged to Mitchell, and the numbers were staggering. Mitchell was perfect on his four takedown attempts, and he landed over 100 ground strikes before Barboza could even hit one. This was a high-level performance by Mitchell, who is quickly becoming a legitimate contender in the division.

The card opened with what is likely the final chapter in Greg Hardy’s UFC career. Sergey Spivak delivered a hip toss and then imposed his will on Hardy (7–5, 1 NC), who was competing in the final fight on his current UFC contract. Spivak (14–3) fired up the crowd with his performance, fulfilling his responsibility in the opening bout with a TKO victory.

In the second fight of the night, Kevin Holland was a success in his welterweight debut, defeating Alex Oliveira with a second-round TKO. Holland (22–7, 1 NC) had a tough time in the first round containing Oliveira (22–12–1, 2 NC), and lost on all three of the scorecards from the judges. But it only took him 38 seconds in round two to land the shots necessary to end the bout. This was the fourth loss in a row for Oliveira, but it is a game-changer for Holland, who has the potential to contend as a welterweight.

The co-main event saw Rafael dos Anjos return for his first fight in 16 months, and he put on a show against Renato Moicano. Dos Anjos (31–13) won by unanimous decision after five intense rounds, pummeling the face of Moicano (16–5–1). The turning point occurred in round three when dos Anjos hit a flush head kick, then followed that with a ground and pound that appeared to end the bout. Yet Moicano, who accepted this fight on short notice earlier this week, refused to relent. Despite better judgment, he was allowed to finish the fight, and he somehow was even competitive in the closing moments of the fifth round. The victory allows dos Anjos to remain No. 6 in the lightweight rankings as he makes one final pursuit of the title.

UFC 272 lacked fireworks and title bouts, but it did provide a card full of entertaining fights. It will be remembered for Covington’s dominance, as he puts Masvidal in his rear view and begins his pursuit of Dustin Poirier.

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MAIN EVENT: JORGE MASVIDAL VS. COLBY COVINGTON -- 12:34 AM ET

Colby Covington re-emerged as a top contender in his unanimous decision victory against Jorge Masvidal.

Covington (17–3) executed a precise game plan, picking up a critical win after dropping two of his past three bouts, with both losses coming against Kamaru Usman. During his post-fight interview, Covington called out Dustin Poirier for a fight.

The blueprint for Covington was forward pressure, landing shots, and keeping Masvidal (35–16) down. Masvidal’s takedown defense was no match for Covington, who then controlled each of the five rounds with a superior brand of wrestling.

Covington took Masvidal’s back and controlled him on the ground, clearly holding the advantage in the first round. Masvidal got back to his feet with just under a minute in the round, but that first round belonged to Covington, who was too much for Masvidal’s takedown defense.

Masvidal started to chip away at Covington’s legs with a low kick in the first 30 seconds of round two. This was a far more competitive round, with both fighters landing stiff shots. The third round saw another takedown from Covington and more ground and pound from the top. Showcasing his superior wrestling, Covington won another round. Masvidal returned to his feet right before the end of the round, landing a couple blows.

The pressure from Covington continued in round four. This exhausted Masvidal, whose fatigue was noticeable when he did not go for the kill after landing what appeared to be a fight-altering hook perfectly placed on the front of Covington’s chin.

Covington started the fifth round with a takedown. The pace was by no means electric, but it was dominant. 

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CATCHWEIGHT BOUT: RAFAEL DOS ANJOS VS. RENATO MOICANO -- 11:41 PM ET

Rafael dos Anjos laid an absolute beating on Renato Moicano, winning by unanimous decision after five physical rounds.

This fight turned in the third round with a head kick by dos Anjos (31–13). That was followed by a vicious ground and pound, and it was incredible that Moicano (16–5–1) held on to continue, especially after all the punishment he had already endured.

With his left eye nearly swollen shut, Moicano still passed a vision test to start the fourth round. Incredibly, he finished the round. Then, battered and bloody, he was even allowed to start the fifth. Moicano landed shots in the fifth, but with the damage he already suffered, it was a shock to see him allowed to compete in the final two rounds.

Moicano finished the fifth round with a couple extra shots, and he showed a tremendous amount of heart, but this was dos Anjos’s fight. While dos Anjos is unlikely to jump in the lightweight rankings, the victory allows him to hold on to his No. 6 spot.

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FEATHERWEIGHT BOUT: EDSON BARBOZA VS. BRYCE MITCHELL -- 11:09 PM ET

Bryce Mitchell has his signature win.

Mitchell (15–0) completely and utterly dominated MMA staple Edson Barboza, controlling all three rounds and winning by unanimous decision.

Barboza (22–11) was held down for much of the fight, as Mitchell put his stamp on this bout with nearly 11 minutes of ground control.

Mitchell entered the bout as the No. 11 featherweight in the division, and this victory against No. 10 Barboza represents a massive step as he climbs the top ten. He put a beating on Barboza in each round, beginning in the first when he landed a powerful left hand that nearly ended the fight by knockout. Mitchell then controlled the next two-and-a-half minutes of ground control before Barboza returned to his feet and landed a couple blows.

The second round started with a Mitchell takedown. Barboza did not take an absurd amount of damage, but Mitchell had an advantage with the ground control. As soon as Barboza got to his feet, Mitchell again landed another takedown. Mitchell landed over 100 ground strikes before Barboza even hit his first, including a vicious strike on Barboza’s left eye. But Barboza held on, giving him a shot for victory in the third round.

Barboza attempted to turn the fight into a boxing match, but Mitchell got another takedown a minute into the round. This was all Mitchell, and it was an emphatic statement that he is going to be a force in the featherweight division.

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WELTERWEIGHT BOUT: ALEX OLIVEIRA VS. KEVIN HOLLAND -- 10:43 PM ET

Kevin Holland delivered a successful welterweight debut, defeating Alex Oliveira with a second-round TKO.

Holland (22–7, 1 NC) was frustrated by Oliveira (22–12–1, 2 NC) in the opening five minutes, but made adjustments that put a quick end to this bout. Just 38 seconds into the second round, he landed a flurry of shots on Oliveira to end the fight.

The loss marks the fourth in a row for Oliveira, which is devastating for him. But the victory breathes new life into Holland’s career, where he has a world of opportunity as a welterweight. He mentioned Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in his post-fight victory, which generated a loud response from the crowd at T-Mobile Arena in Vegas. Cerrone is already set to fight Joe Lauzon in a lightweight bout at UFC 274 in May, but the point remains: there is a future for Holland in the welterweight division.

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HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT: SERGEY SPIVAK VS. GREG HARDY -- 10:21 PM ET

Sergey Spivak made it look easy.

Spivak (14–3) ate a couple rough leg kicks from Greg Hardy to open the fight, then put on a clinic over the next two minutes to win the fight by TKO.

Hardy (7–5, 1 NC) lost control when he went to the ground, which Spivak did with a beautiful hip toss. He then brought Hardy to the ground with a half-nelson, then assumed the mount position to pound Hardy into oblivion.

The victory is unlikely to catapult Spivak too high in the heavyweight division, but perhaps he can get a ranked opponent next. And the end has to be near for Hardy, who has now dropped three in a row and five of his last six.

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Sarah Stier/USA TODAY Sports (Masvidal); Ed Mulholland/USA TODAY Sports (Covington)

Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington headline UFC 272, each seeking to remain top contenders in the welterweight division.

They meet in the main event of tonight’s pay-per-view. The personal feud between the two has been played up in the build, but the winner of this has a real shot at generating momentum for another title shot against Kamaru Usman. There is potential for this to be a more methodical, wrestling-based contest, favoring Covington, but there is always the potential for a wildly entertaining Masvidal knockout that sends Covington to sleep.

Without a title bout or any other top contenders fighting, the 272 card is lacking. A fight to watch is MMA staple Edson Barboza against the undefeated Bryce Mitchell, who looks to start his climb up the top-ten rankings in the featherweight division. But in order for Mitchell to collect his fifteenth win, he will have to defeat an exceptionally skilled martial artist in Barboza.

All eyes are on the main event at 272, and we will find out momentarily if the first four fights of the card can exceed expectations.