Khabib tells UFC fighters to refuse to face Colby Covington after alleged incident with Jorge Masvidal

Masvidal was charged with felony battery this week after an alleged assault of his rival Covington

Colby Covington was allegedly assaulted by UFC rival Jorge Masvidal this week (Getty Images)

Khabib Nurmagomedov has urged UFC fighters not to accept bouts with Colby Covington, who was allegedly assaulted by rival Jorge Masvidal this week.

Masvidal was charged with felony battery after an alleged attack on Covington in Miami Beach, Florida on Monday, three weeks after the latter defeated Masvidal in the main event of UFC 272.

A Miami Beach Police Department report says Covington, 34, claims he was leaving a steak restaurant when Masvidal, 37, “ran up from his left side and struck him without notice or warning.” The report adds that “the defendant struck [Covington] with a closed fist to his mouth and eye. [The] victim suffered a fractured tooth due to these actions.”

The police report says that Masvidal had taken offence to Covington mentioning his children.

“If you are stronger than someone inside the octagon, it does not mean that you can insult his children,” Nurmagomedov wrote on Twitter. “No one has the right to insult someone’s family.

“Once you have gone down this path, then be ready to back up your words. You were attacked by professional fighter, the same as you are, your own size, and you go press charges against him to the police?”

“I think all welterweights should refuse to fight Colby, just don’t accept fights with him, let him sit without a fight, it will probably significantly affect him and all fighters who even think of insulting families, who is provoking the fighters to look for someone in restaurants to deal with him.”

Masvidal and Covington are former roommates whose friendship has devolved into a bitter rivalry in recent years, and Masvidal had suggested that their differences were not settled with his decision loss to his compatriot.

Masvidal appeared to reference this week’s altercation in the aftermath, when he posted a video on Twitter in which he said: “Call this the show-your-face challenge… What’s up, I’m from Dade county. You talk that s***, you’ve got to back it up. That’s how my city rolls.”