UFC 272 rivals Covington and Masvidal created ‘toxic’ atmosphere at gym and were told to leave after assault attempt
COLBY COVINGTON and Jorge Masvidal's bitter feud created a 'toxic' environment at American Top Team, according to owner Dan Lambert.
The former best friends fell out after Covington allegedly stiffed one of Masvidal's coaches of a paycheque after cornering him for his interim welterweight title fight with Rafael dos Anjos in June 2018.
"We’ve had lots of fighters in this gym over the last 25 years where there are people that love each other and people that don’t like each other.
“But we’ve always been able to separate that, keep some professionalism in the gym and not let it affect the team.
“Their situation just got to the point where it was affecting people inside the gym and I couldn’t keep it under control.
"At one point, we had to tell both of them to leave.”
Masvidal has made no secret of his dislike for his former 'best friend', who used to live with him as he made his way up the UFC ranks.
And last year, he revealed he was booted out of ATT for trying to 'ASSUALT' his old pal
He told : “Colby’s that one person that — and I always say this, wherever I see him, it’s a free pay-per-view right there.
“And he knows that, that’s why he used to make videos, like, ‘This guy’s so unprofessional, he tried to fight me in the street.’
"I got kicked out of the gym for trying to assault him one time.
"And then I used to go to the spots that he used to frequent a lot and got the police called on me and things like that.
“I know a lot of people think, like, ‘Man, you’re an idiot.
"You’re a professional fighter, why would you do that?’
"Because I f***ng feel like it. And nobody tells me what to do.”
Covington and Masvidal will have the opportunity to settle their differences next month in the main event of UFC 272 in Las Vegas.
And fan favourite Masvidal has vowed to leave Chaos in 'critical condition' after he's through with him.
He told MMA Junkie: “[Covington is] Definitely [my most] disliked [opponent]. It’s nothing personal, it’s business.
"Since I got into it, I knew the type of people I’d be getting myself involved with, options that could happen, so forth and so forth.
"It’s somebody I firmly don’t like at all whatsoever.
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“I’m hoping that the referee on the way to pulling me off of him slips on a banana peel and I get some extra shots in, really change his life and his face structure.
"Colby’s in critical condition on Monday. It’s bad."
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