Jorge Masvidal’s trial date for alleged assault on Colby Covington slated for May

UFC welterweight contender Jorge Masvidal will be headed to trial in May.

‘Gamebred’ has been out of action since his clash with Colby Covington at UFC 272 last March. Heading into the bout, emotions were running high, as the two were close friends years prior. In the battle of friends-turned-foes, ‘Chaos’ dominated, ultimately winning by unanimous decision.

Following the bout, emotions continued to run high. Weeks after the fight itself, Masvidal reportedly assaulted Covington outside a Miami bar. According to the latter, he was punched several times after being run up on. Masvidal was quickly arrested but has continued to plead not guilty.

Jorge Masvidal will now get the chance to defend himself in court in May. At a hearing yesterday in Miami-Date court, his case was pushed to May. Masvidal’s new pre-trial date is May 10, and in anticipation of a May 22 trial start.

The welterweight’s defense attorney Saam Zangeneh joined the hearing virtually. There, he voiced optimism that the situation could be resolved by May.

Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272

Jorge Masvidal’s trial date for alleged assault on Colby Covington pushed to May

“We’re not ready [to proceed] either,” Zangeneh said at the hearing. “We have the last round of depositions coming up, and I believe we’re going to be setting up with Mr. Simpson [assistant state attorney at Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office] to see if we can resolve this case. I can tell the court I’m in a multiweek trial in the district of the Virgin Islands starting on the 27th of this month.” (h/t MMAJunkie)

He continued, “I think it would be prudent to potentially set this for status at the end of March. I think we may be able to get this resolved.”

In the event that Jorge Masvidal is found guilty, he could face up to 10 years in prison or a heavy fine for second-degree felony battery. For his part, Colby Covington has stated that he suffered a brain injury and a chipped tooth in the attack.

As of now, neither man has competed since the incident last March. Masvidal, however, is currently slated to return against Gilbert Burns at UFC 287 in April.

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