Source:
https://scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3026242/ufc-242-dustin-poirier-slams-sell-out-colby
Martial Arts/ Mixed Martial Arts

UFC 242: Dustin Poirier slams ‘sell out’ Colby Covington for Jorge Masvidal trash talk

  • ‘Jorge is a buddy of mine, I don’t talk bad about people I roll with,’ Poirier says as another American Top Team rift opens
  • ‘If anything, I’ll go out to Florida and help him for that fight against Nick Diaz’
Dustin Poirier grapples with Khabib Nurmagomedov. Photo: Reuters

It appears another rift could be opening at American Top Team after Dustin Poirier took aim at “sell out” Colby Covington for his treatment of Jorge Masvidal.

“The Diamond” was visibly despondent at the UFC 242 post-event press conference, crying and choking on his words after a third-round submission defeat by Khabib Nurmagomedov in Abu Dhabi.

But one reporter told him he had nothing to be ashamed of, saying he too had proved was a “bad m***********” like Nate Diaz and Masvidal. Which led to the question: would he like to challenge his fellow American Top Team fighter Masvidal for the “BMF” title belt?

“Jorge is a buddy of mine, I don’t sell out like f****** Colby Covington and talk bad about people who I roll with,” Poirier said, however.

Covington and Masvidal lived and trained together for eight years in Florida and shared aspirations of making it to the top of the mountain. But their relationship appears to have turned sour following the Cuban-American’s rise up the welterweight rankings with back-to-back knockouts of Darren Till and Ben Askren.

UFC president Dana White said he had to have security intervene to prevent Masvidal “making his way down the line” to confront former interim champion Covington in the crowd at UFC 241 in Anaheim, California, last month.

Covington also berated Masvidal on Twitter after “Gamebred” called out welterweight champion Kamarau Usman, calling him “dumb and desperate” and a “trash bag”.

But Poirier appears to be firmly on Masvidal’s side in the dispute between his teammates.

“I won’t fight him, he’s a training partner, he’s a good guy,” Poirier said. “If anything, I’ll go out to Florida and help him for that fight [against Diaz].”

Dustin Poirier lands a punch on Khabib Nurmagomedov. Photo: Reuters
Dustin Poirier lands a punch on Khabib Nurmagomedov. Photo: Reuters

Masvidal and Diaz will headline UFC 244 at Madison Square Garden on November 2 in a five-round fight, after White was unable to reach an agreement between Kamaru Usman and Covington.

“We offered Covington and Usman fights and they didn’t jump on it, so we rolled and we made another fight,” White said.