Perhaps the best non-title fight that can be made in mixed martial arts will take place on Saturday when recent title-challengers Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington meet in the main event of UFC 272 in Las Vegas. The much-anticipated battle of welterweight contenders tops the main UFC 272 fight card (10 p.m. ET) from T-Mobile Arena. The top-ranked Covington and Masvidal both came up short in two title bouts against champion Kamaru Usman, but the public appetite for them to fight each other has never waned. This is because the fighters are former training partners and teammates who have consistently berated each other following their acrimonious split a few years ago.
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.
UFC 272 predictions
We’ll share one of Gombas’ UFC 272 predictions here: He is siding with Bryce Mitchell (-150) to get his hand raised against Edson Barboza (+130) in a featherweight matchup.
Mitchell (14-0), 27, is considered perhaps the top grappler in the division. His rare twister submission of Matt Sayles in December 2019 earned him numerous Submission of the Year accolades from MMA media and he has nine submissions among his 14 victories. Even so, the Arkansas native has received criticism for his relative inactivity and lack of quality competition to this point.
He should face a stern litmus test from Barboza (22-10), an 11-year UFC veteran who has received nine Performance of the Night bonuses while facing a gauntlet of world-class opposition. The 36-year-old Brazilian is a feared striker but has stumbled to losses in four of his past six fights.
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)