Colby Covington has filed a lawsuit against Jorge Masvidal stemming from a 2022 attack outside of a Miami restaurant. Covington filed the lawsuit in Miami-Dade County, Florida, on March 23 and seeks $100,000 in damages. Talk show host Andy Slater first reported the lawsuit.
Masvidal and Covington used to be teammates, training partners and best friends. The two fought in the UFC 272 main event on March 5, 2022, just weeks before the incident. Covington defeated Masvidal by unanimous decision but his comments about Masvidal’s children in the build up to the fight enraged Masvidal.
Masvisdal waited for Covington outside of a steakhouse in Miami, and when Covington exited the established he “ambushed” him without warning. Covington had felony charges dropped after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor battery charge in a plea deal with Florida prosecutors.
Covington, through his attorney Javier A. Finlay, filed a civil suit over the “unprovoked” attack. In the court documents, Finlay claimed his client “suffered bodily injury and resulting pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, physical impairment, mental anguish, loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life, expense of hospitalization, medical and nursing care and treatment.” Covington seeks “all allowable damages and for such other and further relief, in law or in equity” that “may be justly entitled.”
Masvidal retired from mixed martial arts in April 2023 after suffering four consecutive losses. He returned to the boxing ring in 2024 against Nate Diaz and intends to make an octagon return this year.
Covington has fought twice since the incident with Masvidal, losing to Leon Edwards and Joaquin Buckley.