"I just see him as like a wounded little boy" - Kayla Harrison gives her thoughts on change in Colby Covington's personality

Kayla Harrison recently opened up about her opinion of Colby Covington and the person he has become since inserting the bad-guy gimmick into his personality.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist joined American Top Team in 2018 and hasn't looked back since. Her transition into the sport has seen her go undefeated in 12 fights, quickly becoming one of the most talked-about female fighters in the game.

In a recent interview with ESPN MMA, Harrison gave her thoughts on Covington and who influenced his new persona, saying:

"I think it's all a character. I mean like, to the point where it's scripted, he memorizes the lines... The UFC was gonna cut Colby... I think Dan [Lambert] just looked at him and was like, 'Well, we can't change your style. You're not gonna not be a grappler, so we gotta change you.' And they did."

While she assumes ATT founder Dan Lambert was a big reason as to why Covington changed, Harrison believes 'Chaos' took it too far.

"Now, I don't think Dan took it to the extreme, I think he just planted a seed and Colby went a little too far. Way too far... I just see him as a wounded little boy. Like the f****** kid on the playground who no one would play with so now he's turned into a f****** monster."

Watch the full interview below:

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Colby Covington's rise to fame

Despite being 7-1 in the promotion, Colby Covington was on the verge of release from the UFC heading into his fight with Brazilian submission specialist Demian Maia.

After dominating the fight, Covington took time on the mic to address the people of Brazil in an incredibly controversial and distasteful manner. His speech caught the eye of the entire MMA world and the American instantly became a household name.

'Chaos' would then be given better opportunities with the promotion and even managed to earn a decision win over Rafael dos Anjos, securing himself an interim welterweight title in the process.

Since then, the California native is 2-2 in his last four outings. This includes two hard fought losses against reigning welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.

Colby Covington is now preparing to headline his fifth successive event as he comes face-to-face with his former teammate now heated rival, Jorge Masvidal, at UFC 272 on March 5.