It's been billed as a clash of "bitter rivals."
This Saturday, in the main event of UFC 272, Colby Covington will battle Jorge Masvidal in a five-round welterweight fight.
It hasn't always been this way. They used to be best friends.
"We always had this picture-perfect dream," Covington told B/R ahead of UFC 272. "We even talked about it. We're like, 'Man, if we ever do have to fight each other, let's keep it cordial.'"
Covington met Masvidal when he was fresh out of college. Buoyed by an extremely successful wrestling career at Oregon State University, he decided to pursue professional mixed martial arts and ultimately started training at American Top Team in South Florida, Masvidal's longtime headquarters.