Sports Zone

Covington wins main event: Area fans support controversial Springfield fighter

RON HARTMAN/CHRONICLE PHOTO – Josh Bendix (green jacket) and Drew Drake (brown vest) goof around between rounds of Saturday night’s UFC main event featuring Springfield’s Colby Covington.

EUGENE – The world got to see the many sides of Springfield’s Colby Covington during Saturday night’s UFC grudge match in Las Vegas against his former best friend and teammate, Jorge Masvidal. 

The former Thurston High School wrestler and football player demonstrated why he is known as one of mixed-martial arts’ premier wrestlers as he dominated Masvidal from the get-go. 

A sold-out crowd at the Side Bar was strongly backing their hometown hero, who won a lopsided decision, 50-44, 50-45, 49-46, but there were a few stray Masvidal supporters who paid the $10 cover charge for the pay-per-view event. 

A group of Covington’s childhood friends who all went to Willamette High – Drew Drake, Josh Bendix and Phll McMaster – said Covington’s UFC public face isn’t really him, but he has to play the role to promote the sport.

“I was 7 when I started wrestling against Colby at wrestling camps,” Bendix said. “I used to beat him a lot back then, too.” 

PHOTO / ESPN – Colby Covington

“Colby is on a good path, he has good parents, he’s a (trash)-talker but he has a persona that he has to have to promote himself, but he has a heart of gold,” Drake said. “He’s a good dude, and comes from a good community and pays his dues to the community in Springfield and Thurston when he can. I’ve watched him do wrestling camps and show kids what can happen if you work hard, this is what you can do someday.

“He’s always giving back to the community of Springfield, he represents Springfield well, and he’s a good family-type guy.”

Drake said it’s a good time to be an MMA fan. (Unless, of course, you’re referring to hip-hop artist Drake, who wagered $275,000 on Masvidal at +255 to win Saturday’s fight.)

“I’m also friends with Brent Primus, who went to Sheldon,” Drake said. “He’s ranked No. 1 in Bellator at 155 pounds. He’s no joke, he’s on top of his game right now. Growing up, we used to hang out and play Kidsports.” 

Primus, who at 36 is 2 years older than Covington, shot to the top of the rankings by defeating Benson Henderson his last time in the cage. Primus, a former champ, currently has no fights lined up. 

The UFC undercard provided more action than Saturday’s much-hyped main event, which had its moments but was too one-sided for this feud to live up to Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz or BJ Penn vs. Jens Pulver.

But rest assured, this feud is real. These two fighters went from being best friends and training partners to hating each other’s guts. Some say it was a misunderstanding over a payment to Covington’s manager that was the main point of contention. Whatever the case, the two did not touch gloves – as fighters customarily do. Then after the fight, if it were a football game, Covington might have drawn a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct. 

There’s no title shot awaiting because Covington has already lost twice to Kamaru Usman, who has dominated the welterweight division. Look for him to change weight classes.

Instagram

 

View this profile on Instagram

 

The Chronicle (@thechronicle1909) • Instagram photos and videos