Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Colby Covington has criticised former teammate Robbie Lawler for the way he left American Top Team after his loss to Tyron Woodley.
Ahead of his fight this weekend against Robbie Lawler at UFC Newark, Colby Covington has labelled the former welterweight champion as a ‘diva’ for leaving American Top Team.
Covington hasn’t fought since winning the interim UFC welterweight title against Rafael dos Anjos in June 2017. Following that win ‘Chaos’ was expected to fight for the undisputed title next, but that didn’t materialise and now Covington will fight his former teammate ‘Ruthless’ this weekend.
Talking to MMA Fighting, Covington explained how he helped Lawler prepare for his shots at welterweight gold a few years ago.
“I used to train with him all the time. He was getting ready for Johny Hendricks, a southpaw wrestler, so I was training with him for both of those training camps,” Covington said. “I know everything that he does. I know his coaches. I was doing everything to help him.
”I was on his time schedule, everything Lawler needed to get ready because Dan Lambert came to me and he said ‘hey we need this fight, we need Robbie Lawler to bring this belt back to ATT for the first time in UFC history, we need you to step up Colby’ so I was there for him.”
Lawler lost his 170-pound title to fellow ATT member Tyron Woodley in July 2016. Despite Woodley not training at the same facility as Lawler, the loss meant Lawler decided to switch camps to Blackzilians, now named Hard Knocks 365.
Although Lawler never explained the rationale behind the move, Covington claims it was because a picture of Woodley with his title was put on the wall of the ATT facility Lawler trained at.
”He turned his back on us. After all that, he turned his back on us,” Covington said. “He took his ball and he left the yard. It’s sad because he left the yard because of a picture.”
”The problem is Robbie Lawler obviously. He’s silver spoon fed and he’s a diva. At the end of the day, that’s not cool.”
UFC on ESPN 5 takes place this Saturday, August 3rd, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Covington vs. Lawler will headline the card.