Colby Covington fell to 2-4 in his previous six appearances when a ugly reduce stopped a combat he was dropping in lopsided trend to Joaquin Buckley at UFC Tampa. It was truly his first loss in a non-title bout since 2015, however the all the time outspoken welterweight was granted his two most up-to-date championship alternatives with wins over fighters with a mixed 0-8 document throughout 16 latest fights.
Whereas he scoffed on the stoppage in his first comments addressing the loss, Covington wasn’t having the perfect evening on the workplace no matter how his combat ended. Along with his thirty seventh birthday approaching in early 2025, it’s attainable Covington’s newest loss could have signaled the top of his run as an elite welterweight.
Fellow UFC veteran Matt Brown argues that point most likely handed lengthy earlier than Saturday evening in Tampa.
“It’s arduous to argue he’s actually been elite for some time,” Brown mentioned on the most recent episode of The Fighter vs. The Author. “He hasn’t completed something elite for a very long time. I’m not even positive if the door was already closed. I assumed this was form of his probability to indicate that he’s nonetheless an elite welterweight, and he didn’t go the take a look at. I feel that door may need already been closed is the one caveat to that. We’ll see.
“I assume the query is whether or not he retires. It’s not even whether or not he’s an elite welterweight anymore. I feel that reply’s fairly clear. Is he going to stay round? Is he going to maintain preventing? As a result of he’s form of lived off of his shtick extra so than his performances, proper?”
Previous to 2017, Covington was thought to be a strong prospect, however he didn’t make a lot noise and later claimed the UFC advised him he was doubtlessly not going to be re-signed together with his contract set to run out. So Covington altered his strategy and continued successful fights however abruptly grew to become one of many loudest trash-talkers within the recreation. He attacked opponents, their house nations, and even burned bridges with former coaching companions and teammates.
In recent times, Covington has grow to be synonymous for his unflinching assist of President-elect Donald Trump, which has virtually grow to be his id as a lot as what he’s completed in his combat profession. That earned him an invitation to Trump’s election evening celebration however didn’t assist him take care of a younger, hungry contender like Buckley this previous Saturday evening.
“There’s alternative ways to construct your identify,” Brown mentioned. “Colby form of went the Chael Sonnen route. Discuss the shit, get on the market and get folks speaking about you so get the numbers and that’s the way you earn the shot otherwise you even have the Belal Muhammad route the place he doesn’t actually discuss numerous shit or something however he goes on the market and performs. Colby did the speaking route. I feel that’s most likely what he’ll be remembered for.
“Does he [still] have that starvation? I assumed that answered the query final weekend. I didn’t see the starvation. He didn’t argue the physician’s stoppage. It simply didn’t seem like he even needed to be there, and he was like, ‘Cool, I misplaced for a reduce, that’s higher than a TKO or a knockout or a referee’s stoppage and that’s a straightforward option to make excuses about how I might have come again and received that combat.’ It’s unlucky when these issues begin going by means of your thoughts. That’s when you already know it’s time to cease.”
Including to Covington’s woes after UFC Tampa is the actual fact he’s been unable to seize gold in three previous title fights supplied to him.
Whereas he did go to warfare with Kamaru Usman on two separate events, Covington’s most up-to-date title combat ended with him dropping a reasonably lopsided determination in a lackluster outing towards Leon Edwards. He later revealed he suffered a damaged foot early within the combat after which advised reporters forward of UFC Tampa he was additionally affected by altitude illness after coaching in excessive altitude performed an element in his efficiency.
All these issues could also be true however Brown says the final time Covington received a combat and appeared actually spectacular doing it dates all the best way again to 2019 and a complete lot has occurred since then.
“The one one which I’d say was concerning the combat was the Robbie Lawler combat,” Brown mentioned. “That Colby Covington appeared like he might beat nearly anyone that day. That was an awesome efficiency. Simply the quantity that he placed on, the tempo, the cardio, he appeared wonderful. Didn’t actually take any huge photographs that I keep in mind or something. However we solely noticed that after. That’s the one time we noticed him placed on an incredible efficiency.
“I simply marvel if he began to depend on his shtick just a little bit an excessive amount of and forgot about I’ve acquired to remain within the gymnasium and practice, and I’ve acquired to push that tempo like that. It’s form of a tragedy as a result of I assumed he was a very nice prospect. I assumed he might have completed some huge issues. I assumed he might have placed on some nice fights with lots of people, however my feeling, he simply acquired caught up together with his shtick an excessive amount of and form of relied on that.”
Covington hasn’t given any indication he’s considering retirement, however there’s additionally no telling when he’ll be seen once more. After dropping to Edwards in December 2023, Covington didn’t make his subsequent look within the UFC till this previous weekend for the combat towards Buckley.
Brown can’t say for sure if Covington can flip issues round however based mostly on his newest loss, it’s robust for him to imagine issues are going to get significantly better shifting ahead.
“I hope the perfect for Colby,” Brown mentioned. “I hope that he comes again higher. I hope he learns his classes from this and comes again higher. I hope that he will get again within the gymnasium, trains arduous, I feel he’s nonetheless acquired fights left in him, however he’s acquired to crack down, get again within the gymnasium, and practice like he did when he was an up and comer as a result of he was a threatening welterweight when was an up-and-comer.”
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