Tag: Colby Covington

Colby Covington Explains Why He’s Rooting For Miocic Over Jones At UFC 309: ‘A Real American With Morals & Values’

Colby Covington is throwing his support behind Stipe Miocic to beat Jon Jones in their upcoming title fight. Jones is set to defend his heavyweight belt against Miocic in the main event of UFC 309, slated for Nov. 16 at New York City’s iconic Madison Square Garden. “Bones” enters the fight as a heavy favorite, […]

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Colby Covington is throwing his support behind Stipe Miocic to beat Jon Jones in their upcoming title fight.

Jones is set to defend his heavyweight belt against Miocic in the main event of UFC 309, slated for Nov. 16 at New York City’s iconic Madison Square Garden.

“Bones” enters the fight as a heavy favorite, with many MMA analysts predicting he’ll dominate the former champion with ease. However, Covington has offered a contrasting view, believing that Miocic is poised to deliver a stunning upset.

During a recent interview with Submission Radio, “Chaos” was asked to predict the UFC 309 headliner. The former interim welterweight champion commended Miocic’s relentless work ethic while casting aspersions on Jones, pointing to his turbulent past as a reason he believes “Bones” is unworthy of the victory.

“Stipe is a great American; he’s a patriot,” Covington said. “He’s a first responder, and the guy’s a hard worker. He’s managed being a firefighter while being a UFC champion. I mean, to have a double life like that is just so impressive, and I can only imagine his work ethic. So I’m really rooting for a real American, a guy that has morals and values — something that Jon lacks.

“He [Jones] has no morals and values; he’s a terrible person. He’s beaten his wife, he’s had multiple drug challenges, terrible steroid charges, so he’s not a good person. He doesn’t deserve to win, so I’m rooting for Stipe, and I hope he gets it done.”

Jones and Miocic were originally scheduled to clash at UFC 295 in November 2023. The fight was unexpectedly called off when the reigning champion sustained a torn pectoral muscle just weeks before the event.

The New Yorker claimed the heavyweight title with a first-round submission victory over Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 in March 2023. Meanwhile, Miocic has been out of action for over three years. His last appearance came at UFC 260 in March 2021, where he was knocked out by Francis Ngannou, costing him the championship.

Continue Reading Colby Covington Explains Why He’s Rooting For Miocic Over Jones At UFC 309: ‘A Real American With Morals & Values’ at MMA News.

Colby Covington Includes Paddy Pimblett On List Of Opponents He’d Welcome For His UFC Return

Former interim UFC welterweight champion Colby Covington is eyeing a return to action next year, and he has a couple of potential foes in mind. Covington hasn’t appeared inside the Octagon since his third failed attempt at capturing undisputed gold on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage last December. Having previously had his ambitions stalled by […]

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Former interim UFC welterweight champion Colby Covington is eyeing a return to action next year, and he has a couple of potential foes in mind.

Covington hasn’t appeared inside the Octagon since his third failed attempt at capturing undisputed gold on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage last December.

Having previously had his ambitions stalled by Kamaru Usman, Leon Edwards continued the trend against Covington at UFC 296 to record his second — and ultimately last — successful defense of the 170-pound belt.

“Chaos” put that result down to a broken foot sustained in the very first round. And although he targeted a return once healing from that this past summer, he most recently pointed to his work on the campaign trail for Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election as the reason behind his ongoing absence.

With that, the controversial UFC veteran now has his sights on an early 2025 return to active competition.

During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, Covington claimed that talks are ongoing over a potential showdown with Jack Della Maddalena in the first quarter of 2025.

While “Chaos” was surprisingly respectful when discussing the Australian, the same can’t be said when his attention turned to an option from outside his division…

“A fight that’s being talked about, this guy’s running his mouth a little bit, which is weird because every time I see this guy, he puts his eyes down and he walks past me like a little b*tch,” Covington said. “Now he wants to throw stones in the media. I don’t know if you’ve seen, Paddy Pimblett, he’s been throwing some stones.

“He’s been running his mouth in the media, saying, ‘I’ll go up to welterweight, I’ll fight Colby.’ Of course he wants to come up to welterweight and fight me or Conor (McGregor), the two biggest names in the UFC right now,” Covington continued. “He’d be honored and be lucky to get this fight. But I think we need to get it going. I don’t like when people talk big to the media and don’t back up their talk. … We need to hold him accountable for his words…stupid, dumb bowl cut.”

Pimblett has long expressed a firm dislike toward Covington, calling him out for the supposed persona he’s employed for much of his UFC career.

“The Baddy” was notably among the vocal critics of the American’s conduct at the pre-fight press conference for UFC 296 last December, during which he made unsavory comments about Edwards’ deceased father.

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Colby Covington Claims He Offered To Fight Shavkat Rakhmonov At UFC 310: ‘They Can Call Me On A Week’s Notice’ 

UFC welterweight contender Colby Covington has claimed to have thrown his name in the hat to face the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov on short notice next month. Mixed martial arts’ leading promotion is scrambling for a new main event to close out its pay-per-view schedule for 2024. That’s after the withdrawal of UFC Welterweight Champion Belal […]

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UFC welterweight contender Colby Covington has claimed to have thrown his name in the hat to face the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov on short notice next month.

Mixed martial arts’ leading promotion is scrambling for a new main event to close out its pay-per-view schedule for 2024. That’s after the withdrawal of UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad from the Las Vegas-held UFC 310 on Dec. 7.

“Remember the Name” was scheduled to put his 170-pound belt on the line for the first time opposite Rakhmonov, but a severe bone infection has forced him out.

Since then, “Nomad” has outlined his hopes to remain on next month’s numbered card in competition for interim gold. Among the possible opponents, the Kazakh has specifically pointed to Kamaru Usman as the most likely.

And according to a man who knows “The Nigerian Nightmare” well, those plans are firmly in motion, and have even stopped him from stepping up to the plate.

During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, Covington addressed his absence from the Octagon and suggested a comeback in the first quarter of 2025 is likely.

He did, however, claim that fans could have seen him extremely soon had the UFC accepted his apparent offer to save the day at UFC 310.

“I offered (to replace Muhammad). I told the UFC that I was willing to step up to the plate. … They know they can call me on a week’s notice and I’m stepping up to the plate,” Covington said. “I would love to save the show and put on a good show for the fans. They pay their hard-earned money for big mega fights, they need a mega fight, that’s not a mega fight. They need someone who is going to put asses in seats and entertain people. So, I was excited. I wanted the fight and I asked for it but I think they have other plans.”

And had that come to fruition, “Chaos” doesn’t think he’d have had much trouble dispatching of Rakhmonov — something he expects to prove down the line.

“I can walk him down and pressure him and he’s not going to like my pressure. He doesn’t do very well with southpaws,” Covington explained. “We saw how he did with the busboy Geoff Neal. That was a very competitive fight. He hasn’t fought a top contender yet. He has fought some gatekeepers of the division, some guys on the cusp of the top 10. But he’s never fought a champion like me and a guy who’s going to come at him for five straight rounds and just walk him down.

“I match up well, he stands very tall. I don’t see anything special with him. He has some good submissions, he’s slick, but that’s when he can control the wrestling. He’s not going to control the wrestling on me,” Covington continued. “I think I can beat him pretty easily and I think it’s a favorable fight, and it’s a fight I win in the future whether he wins or loses in December.”

Whether or not his claim is true has been quickly debated in the MMA community, with many suggesting that he’s simply capitalizing on an opportunity knowing that different plans are already in the works for Rakhmonov.

Either way, the American is seemingly eyeing a 2025 return. During the same interview, he put his absence this year down to his work on the campaign trail prior to Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election this week.

Continue Reading Colby Covington Claims He Offered To Fight Shavkat Rakhmonov At UFC 310: ‘They Can Call Me On A Week’s Notice’  at MMA News.

Colby Covington Reveals Conversation With Donald Trump On Election Night: ‘Most Historic Night Of My Life…’

Donald Trump’s close relationship with Dana White is no secret at this point. The UFC President accompanied Trump during his historic win in the US Presidential election and even gave a speech. From Michael Chandler and Justin Gaethje to Sean Strickland and Dustin Poirier, Trump has many supporters from the UFC roster. Colby Covington backs […]

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Donald Trump’s close relationship with Dana White is no secret at this point. The UFC President accompanied Trump during his historic win in the US Presidential election and even gave a speech.

From Michael Chandler and Justin Gaethje to Sean Strickland and Dustin Poirier, Trump has many supporters from the UFC roster. Colby Covington backs the Republican Party member as well, frequently expressing his support during interviews and official UFC media interactions.

The 47th President of the United States invited White alongside a group of UFC fighters including Covington while votes were being counted. “Chaos” described this as one of the most memorable moments of his life during an interview for the Submission Radio YouTube channel.

The former interim UFC welterweight champion believes that the 2024 presidential elections make for a landmark moment in US history. Trump has supported the UFC from its early days, and Covington is positive that the promotion will benefit greatly from his win.

“Probably the most historic night of my life. I mean, when you’re talking in terms of the future of our country. And the future of the world, really, because America. Everything goes to America,” Covington continued. “We exchanged a couple of words, you know. He’s excited. He’s always asking, ‘Colby, when is your next fight? Man, I want to come to your next fight’. And, you know, so he’s going to be there at the next fight.”

Covington revealed that Trump always asks him about his next fight, and the night of the election was no different. The UFC welterweight expects the President to watch his imminent return to the Octagon live and thanked him for having an inspiring work ethic.

“Chaos” is naturally elated with Trump’s victory. He had high praise for White too, who introduced Covington to the Trump family. The former title challenger appreciated the UFC CEO’s healthy lifestyle and sharp mic skills, which were on display during the election night.

Continue Reading Colby Covington Reveals Conversation With Donald Trump On Election Night: ‘Most Historic Night Of My Life…’ at MMA News.

Ian Garry Fires Shots at Kamaru Usman After Alleged Fight Turn-Down: ‘You’re More Like Colby Than I Thought’

Ian Garry Fires Shots at Kamaru Usman After Alleged Fight Turn-Down: ‘You’re More Like Colby Than I Thought’Ian Garry can’t seem to get a fight. After earning his eighth-straight win inside the Octagon against Michael ‘Venom’…

Ian Garry Fires Shots at Kamaru Usman After Alleged Fight Turn-Down: ‘You’re More Like Colby Than I Thought’

Ian Garry can’t seem to get a fight.

After earning his eighth-straight win inside the Octagon against Michael ‘Venom’ Page at UFC 303, ‘The Future’ lobbied hard for a fight with three-time welterweight title challenger Colby Covington. When ‘Chaos’ declined to sign on the dotted line, Garry turned his attention toward the man who beat Covington in two of those title fights, Kamaru Usman.

Unfortunately, it sounds like ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ isn’t interested in going toe-to-toe with Conor McGregor 2.0.

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After Usman made a post on social media saying he was “ready to slide,” Garry snapped back and accused him of ducking a potential scrap between the two at UFC Tampa later this year.

“Ready? Really? I thought you were built different, but turns out you and Colby are more similar than I thought,” Garry wrote in response to Usman. “Say YES see you December 14th!”

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Ian Machado Garry

Kamaru Usman has lost three straight while Ian Garry is sitting on an eight-fight win streak

Usman is currently sitting on a three-fight losing skid that includes back-to-back losses to Leon Edwards and a majority decision defeat against Khamzat Chimaev a little more than a year ago.

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Meanwhile, Garry has worked his way up to the No. 7 spot in the welterweight division and is hoping to score a fight with someone above him in the rankings, though that’s proving to be more challenging than expected.

Perhaps a title eliminator with Sean Brady or Jack Della Maddalena could be in his future while all the former titleholders continue to sit around waiting for another championship opportunity to be handed to them.

Ian Machado Garry

Ian Machado Garry Accuses Colby Covington of Ducking Him: ‘He’s Avoiding Me Like the Plague’

Ian Machado Garry Accuses Colby Covington of Ducking Him: 'He's Avoiding Me Like the Plague'Ian Machado Garry accused Colby Covington of ducking him. Garry and Covington have been lobbing verbal jabs at one…

Ian Machado Garry Accuses Colby Covington of Ducking Him: 'He's Avoiding Me Like the Plague'

Ian Machado Garry accused Colby Covington of ducking him.

Garry and Covington have been lobbing verbal jabs at one another for the better part of the year, much of it stemming from rumors running rampant about Garry’s marriage to TV personality Layla Machado Garry. As a result, Garry has publicly challenged ‘Chaos’ on multiple occasions to a fight inside the Octagon, but thus far nothing has come to fruition.

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Taking to social media, ‘The Future’ revealed that the UFC finally offered him a fight with Covington, which he gladly accepted. But according to Garry, the three-time title challenger has neglected to do the same.

“What’s up, everyone? So, I’m coming on to let everybody know, keep everybody in the loop, and keep everyone updated because it matters,” Garry said in a video on Instagram. “A month ago, I was offered a fight with Colby Covington. It took me all of 20 seconds to respond to the email saying, ‘Yes, I’m in.’ A month later, we’ve still got no response from Colby. He’s avoiding me like the plague, and there’s one reason and one reason only this fight isn’t happening, and his name is Colby Covington” (h/t BJPenn.com).

Ian Machado Garry

Ian Machado Garry has won eight fights in the UFC while Covington has gone 1-2 during the same timeframe

Since making his promotional debut three years ago, Ian Machado Garry has maintained his perfect record via eight straight wins inside the Octagon. Garry moved into the No. 7 spot in the welterweight rankings via a trio of noteworthy wins against Neil Magny, Geoff Neal, and Michael ‘Venom’ Page in his last three outings.

Ian Machado Garry

Meanwhile, Colby Covington is 3-3 in his last six fights with all three losses coming in welterweight title fights against either Kamaru Usman or Leon Edwards. Chaos’ came up short against ‘Rocky’ at UFC 296 in December and will likely have to win a few fights in the division before Dana White forks over another title opportunity.

Despite a lack of activity and zero wins against anyone in the welterweight top 15, Covington is still holding strong as the division’s sixth-ranked contender. His last victory against an active fighter on the UFC roster came more than six years ago.

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