Two of the most polarizing figures in mixed martial arts will square off in the main event of UFC 272 on Saturday as Colby Covington takes on Jorge Masvidal. The much-anticipated meeting of ranked welterweights tops the docket from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with the main UFC 272 fight card set for 10 p.m. ET. The top-ranked Covington is known as much for his insult-heavy, irreverent persona as he is for a relentless style that has seen him earn two title shots in the past three years. The sixth-ranked Masvidal is known for his street-fighting roots that date back to televised backyard brawls on YouTube.
Covington is a -310 favorite (risk $310 to win $100), while Masvidal is a +255 underdog in the latest UFC 272 odds from Caesars Sportsbook. In the co-main event, veteran lightweight contenders will square off as Rafael dos Anjos (-165) meets Renato Moicano (+145). Before making any UFC 272 picks of your own, make sure you check out the MMA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine analyst Kyle Marley.
Marley won the first-ever “ToutMaster” UFC betting contest sponsored by MMAOddsBreaker and appears regularly on multiple MMA betting and daily Fantasy shows. He watches every single fight for every professional MMA card and does extensive research before each event.
Over the past 36 months, $100 bettors who have followed Marley’s picks are up more than $13,000. The accomplished MMA analyst has now connected on 48 of his last 78 UFC main event picks, a stretch that included a streak of five straight underdogs in 2020.
Marley kicked off the 2022 UFC season in January by telling SportsLine members to back Calvin Kattar (+200) against Giga Chikadze (-240) in the featherweight main event. Kattar’s lopsided unanimous-decision victory gave Marley’s followers another easy winner. Anyone who has followed him is way up. You can only see Marley’s MMA picks at SportsLine.
UFC 272: Masvidal vs. Covington preview
Covington and Masvidal bring one of the more compelling storylines to a UFC main event in recent memory. They are former close friends and training partners at the revered American Top Team who went their separate ways on negative terms as their respective MMA careers evolved.
Covington (16-3), 34, was once told by UFC brass that his contract wouldn’t be renewed because his wrestling-heavy style wasn’t fan-friendly and his mundane personality wasn’t helping matters. The California native changed both in short order, adding a respectable striking element to his game and a no-holds-barred disposition that saw him hurling cutting insults at anyone in his path.
This about-face didn’t sit well with Masvidal (35-15), 37, a longtime fan favorite who experienced a late-career breakthrough with three highlight-reel knockouts in 2019 that ultimately landed him two title shots against champion Kamaru Usman.
Covington and Masvidal both came up short against Usman twice and their disdain for each other grew. They were both kicked out of American Top Team for violating the gym’s code of ethics, and fighting each other was the most logical move for both combatants from business and career standpoints. You can only see who to back at UFC 272 at SportsLine.
Expert UFC 272 predictions
We’ll reveal one of Marley’s UFC 272 predictions here: He is siding with Ludovit Klein (+175) to get his hand raised against Devonte Smith (-200) in a battle of lightweight contenders.
Smith (11-3) is a heavy-handed prospect who earned a roster spot with a win on “Dana White’s Contender Series” in August 2018. The 28-year-old Cleveland native is 3-2 in five UFC appearances, with all three wins and both losses coming by stoppage.
Klein (17-4) is a versatile prospect who has eight submissions and eight knockouts among his 17 professional MMA victories. But the 27-year-old Slovakian has dropped two straight, including a submission loss to fellow prospect Nate Landwehr in October.
“Smith has been knocked out three times, so I am worried about his chin. I am going to take the underdog to get a TKO,” Marley told SportsLine.
How to make UFC 272 picks
Marley also has strong picks for Masvidal vs Covington and every other bout on the UFC 272 fight card. He’s also backing a fighter who “will dominate in a striking match” and upset his opponent. Those expert MMA picks are only available at SportsLine.
Who wins Masvidal vs. Covington? And how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on every fight at UFC 272, all from the incomparable expert who’s up more than $13,000 on MMA betting in the past 36 months, and find out.
UFC 272 odds, fight card
Colby Covington (-310) vs. Jorge Masvidal (+255)
Rafael dos Anjos (-165) vs. Renato Moicano (+145)
Bryce Mitchell (-150) vs. Edson Barboza (+130)
Kevin Holland (-300) vs. Alex Oliveira (+250)
Sergey Spivak (-210) vs. Greg Hardy (+180)
Marina Rodriguez (-280) vs. Xiaonan Yan (+240)
Mariya Agapova (-190) vs. Maryna Moroz (+170)
Jalin Turner (-145) vs. Jamie Mullarkey (+125)
Kennedy Nzechukwu (-140) vs. Nicolae Negumereanu (+120)
Tagir Ulanbekov (-240) vs. Tim Elliott (+200)
Dustin Jacoby (-190) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (+170)
Umar Nurmagomedov (-600) vs. Brian Kelleher (+450)
Devonte Smith (-200) vs. Ludovit Klein (+175)
