Colby Covington Claims Political Bias
He thinks his fondness for Trump caused the loss
Although Colby Covington appeared subdued during the fight at UFC 296, he quickly claims political bias in the unfavorable decision. Despite his best efforts, “Chaos” could not dethrone Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight champion Leon Edwards in the main event on Saturday, losing on all judges’ scorecards in the first four rounds of the fight.
Throughout the bout, Covington seemed hesitant to apply his typical pressure and wrestling tactics. When the scores were announced and Edwards was declared the winner, Covington raised his hands in what appeared to be a celebration of his victory, only to be surprised by the outcome.
Colby Covington acting like this after the fight just for it to be a UD loss is hilarious pic.twitter.com/D2fb6g9dAG
— John (@iam_johnw) December 17, 2023
Covington reiterated his belief that he had done enough to win during his post-fight interview. He maintained that the third, fourth, and fifth rounds belonged to him, with the fifth round being the easiest to win. Covington also claimed that he had not suffered any significant damage during the fight. He felt that the judges were politically biased against him due to his support for former US President Donald Trump, who was present at the fight.
Covington stated that the judges never favored him and that everyone in the building hated Trump. However, this claim was contradicted by the loud positive reception that Trump received upon entering T-Mobile Arena that night. Trump has a long history with the UFC and has attended several events during his presidency.
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Covington has been a vocal Trump supporter for many years and even brought his interim welterweight belt to the White House in 2019. When asked about his lack of intent during the fight, Covington avoided the question and instead reiterated his support for Trump. The Las Vegas crowd briefly paused to show respect for the former POTUS but soon returned to booing Covington throughout his Octagon interview.
Was he ready?
Covington’s title shot was questioned by many due to his lengthy break from fighting and lack of notable victories in recent times. Coming off his third unsuccessful attempt at claiming undisputed gold, Covington has now set his sights lower, calling out Stephen Thompson, a former two-time title challenger who was defeated by Shavkat Rakhmonov via submission on the same card. Covington accused “Wonderboy,” who is highly respected and considered one of the most amiable and courteous fighters in the UFC, of being a provocateur.
Covington said, “There’s this guy who’s been trash-talking me in the media, Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson. Everyone thinks he’s such a nice guy, but he’s had a lot to say about me, so I’d love for him to say it to my face in the octagon.”
He went on to say, “Before the fight, he was just talking a lot of nonsense, saying things like ‘Oh, he’s going to get his jaw broken.’ He’s always bad-mouthing and throwing shade. I’d love for him to say those things to me in person. He always has a lot to say to the media, but I’ve never seen him come up to me face-to-face. Even at the press conference backstage, he kept his head down the whole time.”