Jorge Masvidal’s trial for his alleged assault on former friend-turned-enemy Colby Covington has been given a new date, according to recent reports.
The two have been embroiled in a legal battle since Masvidal allegedly attacked Covington outside a steak restaurant in Miami, Florida, just days after Covington won their March 2022 bout by a lopsided unanimous decision.
The case was recently cont
inued in a hearing at the Miami-Made County Courthouse, and a new pre-trial date has been set for May 10. The trial is expected to begin on May 22, and Masvidal is facing multiple felony charges, including aggravated battery and criminal mischief.
Masvidal’s defense attorney, Saam Zangeneh, has expressed a desire to settle the case before it goes to trial, with hopes that it could be resolved by the end of next month. Masvidal has denied the allegations, but he could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Masvidal is set to return to the octagon at UFC 287 on April 8, where he will face Gilbert Burns in the co-main event at the Miami-Made Arena. Masvidal has struggled in his last three, with two unsuccessful title shots against Kamaru Usman and a loss to Covington in his most recent appearance.
Despite these setbacks, Masvidal’s star power means that a convincing win over Burns could put him back in the mix for a shot at the welterweight title, currently held by Leon Edwards. If Edwards successfully defends the belt against Usman at UFC 286 next month, Masvidal could potentially be in line for a shot at the title considering their viral conflict from couple years ago.
Covington has been out of action with no signs pointing to a return in the fall out from the incident. There are speculations that he’s looking to pursue a civil suit against Masvidal for unspecified brain damages and that, that could be delaying his return.
Rising Welterweight Belal Muhammad speculated that Covington’s reluctance to return to the UFC may be due to claims of brain damage from the altercation.
Belal Muhammad told Joe Rogan during a recent appearance:
“I ask, what? is (Covington) fighting? Oh, he’s not fighting for a year. He’s going to be he’s not gonna be fighting for a while. And then I’m looking at it like they say, why?”
“I’m assuming because he’s claiming brain damage with the court case. And I know like some lawyers, like injury lawyers. And he is like, yeah, when somebody comes in claiming brain damage, like all I hear is cha-ching.”