Tag: Colby Covington

Colby Covington’s Islamophobic Remarks Against Belal Muhammad Spark Outrage Regarding Exploding Pager

Colby Covington's Islamophobic Remarks Against Belal Muhammad Spark Outrage Regarding Exploding PagerColby Covington is a polarizing figure in the UFC welterweight division, has once again stirred controversy with offensive comments…

Colby Covington's Islamophobic Remarks Against Belal Muhammad Spark Outrage Regarding Exploding Pager

Colby Covington is a polarizing figure in the UFC welterweight division, has once again stirred controversy with offensive comments aimed at Belal Muhammad, the current division champion who is Palestinian-American. Covington, known for his brash persona and trash talk, accused Muhammad of wearing a “pager on his foot” that allegedly exploded, causing him to withdraw from a fight.

Colby Covington on Belal Muhammad

In a recent statement, Covington commented on Muhammad’s withdrawal from his fight, claiming, “I called the UFC when Belal had a pager on his foot, and he backed out ’cause I guess the pager exploded on his ankle and messed up his toe, which is just weird. You guys need to ask Belal why he is wearing a pager around his ankle. That’s just weird.” These words, though masked as trash talk, have drawn widespread criticism for their Islamophobic implications.

Covington’s remarks cannot be separated from the broader geopolitical context. On September 17, 2024, an incident occurred when pagers distributed to Hezbollah operatives exploded simultaneously across Lebanon and Syria. The explosion, which resulted in numerous casualties, was allegedly the work of Israeli intelligence. While Covington’s comments seem to reference this event, they do so in a manner that links Muhammad to terrorism, using a stereotype that Muslim individuals are linked to violence and extremism.

Covington’s behavior is not new. Throughout his career, he has made headlines for pushing the boundaries of trash talk, often crossing the line into offensive and hate-filled rhetoric, often against black athletes. However, this latest incident takes his words into dangerous territory, invoking Islamophobic stereotypes to make a cheap point.

It’s crazy how Colby Covington can go to a UFC press conference & openly call Belal Muhammad a terrorist just because he’s Muslim & not a single media outlet writes an article about it

“Colby Covington’s remarks against Belal Muhammad reflect a broader pattern of prejudice. In an era where athletes are increasingly using their platforms for social good, Covington’s words stand in stark contrast and perpetuate hatred. Colby Covington lobbies disgusting Islamaphobic attack against Belal Muhammad claiming “he pulled out because a pager exploded on his ankle” Colby is such a disgrace but this really highlights his desperation to stay relevant.”

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Joaquin Buckley Expects To Leapfrog Rakhmonov For Next Title Shot With KO Over Covington

The final UFC events of 2024 come with some big stakes attached for the welterweight division. Last weekend at UFC 310 in Las Vegas, Shavkat Rakhmonov cemented his status as the number one contender. In the battle of the undefeated 170-pounds in the co-main event on December 7, “Nomad” earned his first decision win to […]

The final UFC events of 2024 come with some big stakes attached for the welterweight division. Last weekend at UFC 310 in Las Vegas, Shavkat Rakhmonov cemented his status as the number one contender.

In the battle of the undefeated 170-pounds in the co-main event on December 7, “Nomad” earned his first decision win to defeat Ireland’s Ian Machado Garry. Having been set to face Belal Muhammad for the title on this date until the champion withdrew, the two men shared a face-off inside the Octagon after Rakhmonov got his hand raised.

UFC Tampa is up next where in the main event of the Octagon’s final stop of the year, Joaquin Buckley will look to continue his career-best form when he takes on the former interim champion, Colby Covington. “New Mansa” was originally set to face Garry on this card but against a returning Covington, he believes he still has the opportunity to shake up the division by making a statement.

With a five-fight winning streak and the #9-ranking next to his name, Buckley told UFC.com in a recent interview that he believes he could insert himself into the title picture if he becomes just the second man to knockout “Chaos” at the Amalie Arena on Saturday night.

“We saw the performance that Ian Garry and Shavkat put on, it wasn’t that fun to watch right. I feel like for me, it’s just like the performance that I’m gonna put on Colby Covington, I can probably take the opportunity to fight for the belt one day. Even though Shavkat earned his spot, sometimes things happen, some things fall out so with that being said, once I get a good knockout over Colby Covington, I feel like I’m next to fight for that belt.”

Joaquin Buckley Calls Colby Covington “Fake” and “Soft” Ahead of Their Showdown

Joaquin Buckley Calls Colby Covington "Fake" and "Soft" Ahead of Their ShowdownJoaquin Buckley knows who the real Colby Covington is. Buckley will look to score the biggest win of his…

Joaquin Buckley Calls Colby Covington "Fake" and "Soft" Ahead of Their Showdown

Joaquin Buckley knows who the real Colby Covington is.

Buckley will look to score the biggest win of his UFC career on Saturday night when he closes out the promotion’s 2024 with a high-stakes scrap against the three-time title challenger in Tampa.

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It will be Covington’s first time competing since delivering a lackluster showing against then-welterweight champion Leon Edwards at UFC 296 around this same time last year. In the time since, Covington claims to have kept busy by campaigning on behalf of President-elect Donald Trump.

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Now that ’45’ has gained re-election, ‘Chaos’ is ready to get back into the business of overpromising and under-delivering inside the Octagon.

Ahead of their highly anticipated clash, Buckley slammed Covington for pretending to be something he’s not.

“I met this man in person. I know the real Colby Covington, and what he is, is a character,” Buckley told Inside Fighting. “He’s playing like a whole fictional person. So for me, it’s just like, I want to bring up the fact that you’re fake and that you’re soft, and that the person you’re portraying is somebody, yet again, that does not exist. But we all know the real you.”

Joaquin Buckley could extend his unbeaten streak to six with a win over ‘chaos’

Buckley rides into UFC Tampa on a five-fight win streak, his most recent coming via a third-round knockout of Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson in October. ‘New Mansa’ has also scored wins over Andre Fialho, Alex Morono, Vicente Luque, and Nursulton Ruziboev.

Overall, Buckley is 10-4 inside the Octagon with seven of his wins coming by way of KO/TKO.

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Ian Garry Outlines ‘Ideal Scenario’ For UFC 310 & Beyond: ‘Take Out Shavkat Early…’

Ian Garry is setting his sights on a quick finish against Shavkat Rakhmonov in their upcoming showdown, with a strategy for making a lightning-fast return to the Octagon. Garry is slated to face Rakhmonov in a crucial five-round welterweight clash that s expected to determine the next title challenger. This highly anticipated showdown is set […]

Ian Garry is setting his sights on a quick finish against Shavkat Rakhmonov in their upcoming showdown, with a strategy for making a lightning-fast return to the Octagon.

Garry is slated to face Rakhmonov in a crucial five-round welterweight clash that s expected to determine the next title challenger. This highly anticipated showdown is set as the co-main event of UFC 310, taking place on Dec. 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“The Future” was never part of the original lineup to co-headline the UFC’s final pay-per-view event of the year. Garry had been scheduled to face Joaquin Buckley at the UFC Fight Night in Tampa on Dec. 14. The Irishman stepped up on short notice when reigning 170-pound champion Belal Muhammad withdrew from his title defense against “Nomad” due to a bone infection.

Consequently, Colby Covington was enlisted as an eleventh-hour substitute to fill the void left by Garry’s departure, stepping in to face Buckley in a reshuffled matchup.

“Chaos” has been firmly on Garry’s radar for nearly a year, with both fighters sharing a simmering animosity that has only fueled their rivalry. This tension drives “The Future” to aim for a swift and injury-free victory over Rakhmonov this Saturday, paving the way for a hypothetical return the following weekend to finally settle the score with the former UFC interim champion.

During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Garry said that, following a possible victory over Rakhmonov, he plans to approach the UFC’s top brass with a bold request.

Garry enters the UFC 310 bout on the heels of a dominant unanimous decision victory over Michael ‘Venom’ Page at UFC 303 this past June. The win marked his second triumph of the year and extended his impressive streak to eight consecutive victories inside the Octagon.

Ian Garry: UFC Tampa Booking Proves ‘Coward’ Colby Covington ‘Avoided Me Like The Plague’

Though their paths might not be crossing in the way that he had hoped, there is no love lost between Ian Machado Garry and Colby Covington. The undefeated Irishman has spent a fair few months of 2024 going back-and-forth with the former interim champion. Covington was the opponent that he wanted to face at UFC […]

Though their paths might not be crossing in the way that he had hoped, there is no love lost between Ian Machado Garry and Colby Covington. The undefeated Irishman has spent a fair few months of 2024 going back-and-forth with the former interim champion.

Covington was the opponent that he wanted to face at UFC 303 in June which would have been the perfect co-main event to Conor McGregor’s return against Michael Chandler. Instead, Garry would get the main card opener slot against the former Bellator star Michael “Venom” Page which he won to remain undefeated.

Considering the war of words between them which stems all the way back to UFC 296 in December last year where they were scheduled to share the card with each other before Garry withdrew due to illness, it only made sense to revisit this match-up. With how much time he has spent trying to get “Chaos” to fight him, it’s not surprising that he would be frustrated when the welterweight switch-up happened.

Garry agreed to fight Joaquin Buckley in the main event of UFC Tampa on December 14, admitting recently that the fight didn’t excite him but no one ranked above him would take the match-up. When Belal Muhammad withdrew from his UFC 310 title defense, Garry replaced him to face Shavkat Rakhmonov this Saturday whilst Covington stepped in to clash with Buckley the following week.

In a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Garry reacted to Covington refusing to fight him only to accept a fight with “New Mansa” instead for the same date that the Irishman was originally targeting.

“I was seething, how do you think I feel? Because I’ve been screaming and shouting about fighting that man from the rafters,” Garry said. “This man’s made videos about me, my wife, my kids – talking about all this s***. And here’s this man avoiding me like the plague, and then the second I book in against the scariest man in the division, he’s like, ‘Oh, I’ll fight in Florida.’

“It just proves, it just shows that he’s a coward, that he wants nothing to do with me,” Garry continued. “The truth is I already know I’ve beaten him. I know I’ve already mentally beaten him. He’s weak. He’s an absolute coward.”

Ian Garry Predicts Joaquin Buckley Will ‘Starch’ Colby Covington

Ian Garry may have a bigger challenge looming ahead, but he’s far from pleased about Colby Covington’s decision to pass on a showdown with him. For nearly a year, Garry and Covington have been locked in a simmering rivalry, with both fighters eager to settle their score in the Octagon. The 27-year-old Irishman has been […]

Ian Garry may have a bigger challenge looming ahead, but he’s far from pleased about Colby Covington’s decision to pass on a showdown with him.

For nearly a year, Garry and Covington have been locked in a simmering rivalry, with both fighters eager to settle their score in the Octagon. The 27-year-old Irishman has been especially vocal about the prospect of facing Covington.

“The Future” initially had his sights set on a grudge matchup against the former interim welterweight champion in the main event of the UFC Fight Night in Tampa on Dec. 14. However, he was ultimately matched up with Joaquin Buckley instead.

But when reigning 170-pound champion Belal Muhammad was forced to withdraw from his UFC 310 headliner against Shavkat Rakhmonov due to a bone infection, Garry jumped at the chance to fill the void and salvage the matchup.

Following the changes, “Chaos” was brought in as a last-minute replacement for Garry, stepping up to face Buckley in the newly adjusted lineup.

During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Garry didn’t hold back, slamming Covington for attacking his personal life and calling the American a coward for supposedly avoiding a showdown with him.

“The Future” went on to predict that Buckley will completely overpower Covington.

“I believe he’s going to go out there and get absolutely steamrolled by Joaquin Buckley. I think Buckley starches him.”

“Chaos” has been out of action since his unsuccessful attempt to capture the welterweight title in his third bid against Leon Edwards, a fight that ultimately saw him fall short of his championship aspirations.