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Colby Covington’s over-the-top MMA persona hasn’t only landed him on the list of most controversial UFC fighters, but it has resulted in “Chaos” being removed from American Top Team (ATT), which he has called home since the beginning of his professional career.
While Covington is one of the very best welterweight fighters in the game today, ATT simply couldn’t keep up with his out-of-cage antics, especially when it involved other fighters from the camp. So when “Chaos” took aim at ATT staples like Jorge Masvidal and Dustin Poirier, the gym had to invoke a “no trash talk” rule.
Of course, Covington did not oblige and ended up parting ways with ATT earlier this week.
Given his track record and unavoidable bravado, it’s hard to think that anybody else is to blame for Covington’s withdrawal from ATT. But according to “Chaos,” other members of the gym weren’t helping the situation.
“A lot of people were sensitive, namely “Doufus” Dustin [Poirier] and “Street Judas” [Jorge] Masvidal,” Covington told MMA Fighting. “They had feelings. They don’t want to fight me in the cage. They’d rather go cry to Dan Lambert and beg him to protect their precious little feelings cause if they fight me in the cage, they know what’s going to happen. I’m going to tear them limb from limb.
“I’m not in the feelings business. I’m in the money making business. I’m in the Colby Covington business. That’s why this was the biggest thing. I’m Colby Covington Inc. now. I’m no longer affiliated with a team. I’m my own team.”
Unfortunately, Covington wasn’t able to right his wrongs in time to stay on the team that built him from scratch. He ended up cutting ties with Masvidal, a former best friend, while creating beef with other UFC stars like former women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
“The best way I can put it — Joanna “Jordaycheck” is a c**t. Dustin “Doofus” Poirier is a b*tch and Jorge “Street Judas” Masvidal is a p*ssy,” Covington said. “And Jorge running all these narratives to the news ‘oh he’s my teammate, I can’t fight him.’ Guess what? I’m not your teammate no more. I’m not your roommate but I’m still your f*cking daddy, b*tch. So what’s your excuse now, Jorge?
“I’m ranked higher. I’ve got a better record. I’m more relevant. Why won’t you fight me now? Want to know why he won’t fight me? Cause I’m still his f*cking daddy. Cause I give him spankings.”
At times, Covington’s presence in the gym nearly resulted in physical confrontation. MMA is obviously a sport of violence, but teammates are not supposed to put one another at real risk. Luckily, the tension within the ATT camp didn’t completely boil over during Covington’s final few months, but it certainly got close.
“The last six months, I’m going into ATT and Dustin or Jorge are in there, they’re screaming across the [gym],” Covington said. “I’m like let’s go. You want to fight, let’s fight right now. Stop talking this sh*t, creating drama in the gym so they have to make a decision like this or have to do a drastic action.
“But no, they just want to scream in front of coaches and disrupt all the pro fighters training because they don’t respect Dan and they don’t respect ATT. It’s pathetic.”
Covington’s action over the past year or so certainly put ATT owner Dan Lambert in a difficult predicament, but there’s always two sides of the story. According to “Chaos,” some of his team members weren’t so good behind close doors compared to what they portray in the media.
“They get such a good rap in the media, like these are just such good guys but no one knows these people off the cameras,” Covington said. “On the cameras, they play good guys but off the camera Jorge and Dustin are pieces of sh*t and the lowest scum of the Earth. Dustin started a charity for a tax write off and he wants to claim he’s such a good guy. How are you a good guy for starting a charity for a tax write off, you fraud. You piece of sh*t. Jorge, same sh*t. You’re out here talking about ‘oh I’m the dine and dash king, I run out on these single mothers from Denny’s who are trying to put food on the table for their single parent families’ and he’s claiming to be the king of that.
“The guy’s the biggest, lowest denominator of scum in the entire world and I pray to God, they f*cking let me get locked up in a cage with him. Cause he knows what’s going to happen. I will break his face. I will rip him limb from limb and he will never be the same person ever again. I promise you that. He will need a psychiatrist after I’m done with him.”
Without ties to ATT Covington now has the opportunity to finally settle his beef with Masvidal inside of the cage. Both are near the top of the UFC’s welterweight division and “Gamebred” has already stated he’s training for something “fun.” Covington would love the chance to end Masvidal’s current rise to stardom and prove he is the better fighter.
“There’s just something so intriguing about this fight with “Journeyman Street Judas” Masvidal,” Covington said. “He’s been running this big game like he’s so f*cking tough. Like he’s Miami’s gangster. Guess what, b*tch? I run Miami. I’m the king of Miami. I run 305. I’m Mr. Worldwide. We can do it every single day. I promise you, this ain’t just talk, if I see that guy in the street, he’s getting slapped the f*ck up and dropped on his head and he knows that. Deep down inside, he knows he can’t stop me so all the bullsh*t narrative that Jorge Masvidal and Dustin “Doofus” Poirier had in the media before ‘oh Colby’s my teammate, I can’t fight him.’ Guess what, b*tch? You ain’t got nothing to say.
“Direct your complaints at me. All you f*cking snowflakes directing your feelings at Dan Lambert, a multi-millionaire businessman. You’re f*cking grown ass adult professional cage fighters and your precious little feelings are hurt and you’re going crying to f*cking Dan Lambert? Guess what, b*tch? I’m the head of the complaint department not Dan Lambert. I don’t give a f*ck about your feelings or your complaints. Come see me in the Octagon but you ain’t going to do that cause you’re f*cking scared.“