MMAfighting.com
Colby Covington is a man of the people.
The brash-talking UFC welterweight made headlines recently when he exploded on Dana Whiteand the rest of the UFC for passing him up for a title shot a second time, going so far as to even dare the UFC to release him. And while that doesn’t seem likely to happen anytime soon, neither does Covington kowtowing to the UFC Brass.
Speaking recently with BJPenn Radio, Covington dug his heels in, saying that he has no intention of changing his position and that he’s standing up to the UFC for all the rest of the fighters who are unable to do so.
“I haven’t heard anything from them and I don’t got anything to say to them,” Covington said. “They know where I stand and they’re not going to get anything out of me ’cause I’m standing my ground, I’m standing up for all the fighters that don’t have a f*cking platform, that can’t stand up against the UFC and have to take everything the UFC gives them. All the sh*t the UFC gives them, f*cks all the fighters on the pay and just expects you to do things on a drop of a dime when they want it. All these fighters are yes-men, I’m not a yes-man. I don’t do things. When the UFC says to jump I don’t say ‘how high?’ I’m not that guy.
“The UFC knows where I stand and I’m standing up for what’s right. People can hate me, they can love me, but you know I’m standing up for what I believe in and what I earned and was promised. In life you can only stand by your word and you gotta have big balls in life and that’s what I got.”
The entire Covington ordeal has come out of left field. A solid welterweight prospect a few years ago, Covington then embraced his inner Chael Sonnen, and started talking copious amounts of trash to nearly everyone in the welterweight division. It worked, propelling “Chaos” up the 170 pound ladder with a few pivotal wins, eventually earning him an interim title and a fight with undisputed champion Tyron Woodley. Woodley was more than game and the UFC suddenly had on its hands a seemingly highly marketable fight. But then, when Covington was unready to fight on the UFC’s timeline last year, they passed him over to give Darren Till a title shot and just a few months ago they did so again, this time in favor of Kamaru Usman. This was too much of an injustice for Covington and though he wouldn’t be against this being a rallying point for fighters, he says he’s more than ready to take on the big machine solo because he knows his own worth and the UFC won’t push him around.
“A lot of these fighters, they’re scared, they’re not gonna do that,” Covington said. “So if I’m a one-man army, that’s cool. I don’t give a shit. I’m a self made man. I never relied on the UFC for anything. I did this all on my own. I called my own shots, I got myself to the White House. . .
“[This is] just really a, ‘I don’t give a f*ck’ to them. I’m putting the birds up and that’s it. This is a f*cking dick flexing competition and a muscle flexing competition. That’s all it is. They’re trying to think that they have the power but they don’t have the f*cking power. Any other fighter, okay, yeah, you have the power. But in my situation – where I won a UFC title, the highest honor in your company, I went to the White House, the only fighter ever to do that, I’m undefeated, I’ve never been beaten, no one can touch me – they can’t f*cking outflex me. I can go somewhere else. I could give a f*ck about them. They don’t mean sh*t to me anymore. I know my worth. I know I’m valuable and they know I’m valuable. They’re not gonna do sh*t. I can say whatever I want and I’m gonna do whatever the f*ck I want.”
Covington has not competed since winning his interim title against Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 225. He was stripped of the belt a few months later when Woodley defended his title against Darren Till and White has blamed the entire ordeal on Covington, saying that fighters should take opportunities when offered instead of trying to leverage the UFC. But Covington isn’t having any of it and says he’s ready for the long haul.
“They can try and freeze me out, try and do whatever they want, but Dan Lambert’s one of the richest, most powerful people in the world, so you can’t keep that guy down,” Covington concluded. “It’s impossible. So we will rise up and we will be back, mark my words.”
MUST-READ STORIES
Hardy. Dana White optimistic about Greg Hardy’s UFC future: ‘He can fight’.
Inexperience. Allen Crowder chalks up Greg Hardy illegal knee to ‘inexperience’.
125. Dana White: Jessica Eye to challenge Valentina Shevchenko for flyweight title.
Scared. Santiago Ponzinibbio: ‘Scared’ Rafael dos Anjos ‘is running from the fight’.
VIDEO STEW
The MMA Hour.
Fight Motion.
Bellator Countdown.
Maycee Barber already preparing for Nashville.
History of the UFC’s flyweight division.
LISTEN UP
Anik & Florian. Discussing UFC’s ESPN debut and Henry Cejudo’s big win.
The Co-Main Event. Recapping all the action from UFC Brooklyn, plus listener mail.
SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE
Cejudo.
Farewell.
Matt Brown ain’t done yet.
Hoping I’m ready by June or July
I’m downPlatinum Mike Perry✔@PlatinumPerryWho gotta be in the ring wit me to get y’all to buy #PayPerView lol or just who equals the best or most entertaining match up for what you think my skill set might do well against and or not well against 1,4842:36 AM – Jan 22, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacy231 people are talking about this
Throwing shade.View image on Twitter
Follow @CrisCyborg on IG #CWB✔@criscyborg
Wanderlia Silva never looked like this in a dress 1,17710:56 AM – Jan 22, 2019160 people are talking about thisTwitter Ads info and privacy
Call out.View image on Twitter
Yo @DiegoBrandaoMMA I know you bobbed and weaved your way out of that twitter beef with the block button but let’s make the fight happen @ #rizin15 in April @rizin_PR @RIZINFF #letsgo @GinnenGroup #ko #tko #submission #mma #jiujitsu #soccerkicks #nochin #stomps #elbows453:54 AM – Jan 22, 2019See Damien Brown’s other TweetsTwitter Ads info and privacy
New blood coming in.
What collegiate wrestler do you think will/would be most successful in MMA? Assuming @Snyder_man45 will receive a lot of love2010:16 AM – Jan 21, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacy22 people are talking about this
Bryce Meredith@bmeredith001Replying to @Ericlevi7 and 2 others
After 2020. We gonna get active!139:13 AM – Jan 22, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacySee Bryce Meredith’s other Tweets
Well, there’s a story.
I once got held up at gunpoint for 2 dollars in Harlem. #welcometoNYesther lin✔@allelbowsand pacquiao was robbed too?! People out of control. https://twitter.com/MMAFighting/status/1087062275196968960 …74:56 AM – Jan 22, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacySee éS’s other Tweets
Zach and Slater rolling.View image on Twitter
Great training with my boy @MPG! Beat each other up for an hour and a half… #Jiujitsu #BJJ #OldSchoolHomies1,6769:23 AM – Jan 22, 2019 · California, USA274 people are talking about thisTwitter Ads info and privacy
Not bad at all.
More News
Casimero TKO’s Sanchez in 1st round
Raquinel wins WBC Continental Americas super flyweight title
Frank vs Raquinel on ABEMA LIVE PPV