UFC 272
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | March 5, 2022 |
| Headquarters | Paradise, Nevada , United States |
UFC 272: Covington vs. Masvidal was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, taking place on March 5, 2022, at the T-Mobile Arena located in Paradise, Nevada, United States.
Background
The event was originally set to be headlined by a much-anticipated trilogy clash for the UFC Featherweight Championship featuring reigning champion Alexander Volkanovski against former titleholder Max Holloway. Their previous meetings occurred at UFC 245, where Volkanovski captured the championship, and at UFC 251, where he successfully defended the belt amid some dispute. Shortly after the trilogy fight was announced, Holloway withdrew due to injury, leading to former contender Chan Sung Jung stepping in as his replacement; this matchup was subsequently shifted to UFC 273, scheduled for April 9.
Another significant bout planned was a unification rematch for the UFC Bantamweight Championship between current champion Aljamain Sterling and interim titleholder and ex-champion Petr Yan. Their initial encounter at UFC 259 concluded with Sterling winning via disqualification. The rematch, initially slated for UFC 267, faced postponement owing to Sterling’s neck complications and was later moved to UFC 273.
With these headline fights rescheduled, the welterweight contest between former interim UFC Welterweight Champion Colby Covington and previous challenger Jorge Masvidal was elevated to main event status.
A heavyweight bout featuring Greg Hardy versus Serghei Spivac, which had been arranged for UFC 270, was deferred to this event following Hardy’s finger injury.
Additionally, a five-round lightweight fight involving former champion Rafael dos Anjos against Rafael Fiziev, originally booked for another card, was relocated due to visa complications faced by Fiziev. Subsequently, Fiziev withdrew after testing positive for COVID-19 and was substituted by Renato Moicano, who accepted the fight on four days' notice at a catchweight of 160 pounds.
Lightweight fighters Devonte Smith and Erick Gonzalez were scheduled to compete; however, Gonzalez pulled out because of a foot injury and was replaced by Ľudovít Klein.
Former women's flyweight title contender Jessica Eye was set to face off against Manon Fiorot, but Eye's injury one week before the event led to the cancellation of their bout.
During the live broadcast of the event, it was revealed that ex-UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov would be honored as the next "modern wing" inductee into the prestigious UFC Hall of Fame.
Results
{{MMAevent bout |Light Heavyweight |Nicolae Negumereanu |def. |Kennedy Nzechukwu |Decision (split) (27–29, 29–27, 29–27) |3 |5:00 |} }
Bonus awards
Monetary bonuses of $50,000 were awarded to:
- Fight of the Night: Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal
- Performance of the Night: Kevin Holland and Maryna Moroz