![Colby Covington (left) reacts to the aquitall of Daniel Penny (insert) in his trial due to a "chokehold" incident that happened last year. [Image credit: @colbycovington on Instagram, The Free Press, ABC News on YouTube]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/12/ee61f-17337793639740-1920.jpg)
![Colby Covington (left) reacts to the aquitall of Daniel Penny (insert) in his trial due to a "chokehold" incident that happened last year. [Image credit: @colbycovington on Instagram, The Free Press, ABC News on YouTube]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns%3Axlink='http%3A//www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20viewBox='0%200%2010%206.25'%3E%3Cfilter%20id='b'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20stdDeviation='.5'%3E%3C/feGaussianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20type='discrete'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20tableValues='1%201'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20filter='url(%23b)'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Former interim UFC welterweight champion and outspoken political mouthpiece Colby Covington recently posted on X about the acquittal of Daniel Penny in his high-profile "chokehold" case. On May 1, 2023, Penny, a 26-year-old former US marine, subdued Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old homeless man with mental health issues, inside a New York Subway train.
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Bystander videos and police bodycam footage show that Penny put Neely in a chokehold while other passengers tried to subdue the troubled man as he violently threatened everyone inside the train. Once the police arrived, Penny released the chokehold as the responders tried to revive Neely - but soon declared him dead once he arrived at a nearby hospital.
The public was divided by the outcome of the encounter, with some claiming that the killing was racially charged and that Penny should go to jail while others saw the former marine as a hero who protected the public.
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Covington made it known which side he's on, saying:
"Daniel Penny is a FREE MAN and a HERO!! God Bless America"
Penny was charged with second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. The jury couldn't agree with a verdict on the first charge, which prompted the judge to just allow them to deliberate on the second charge. Penny was ultimately found not guilty, causing a divisive response from people both online and just outside the courthouse.
Colby Covington to face Joaquin Buckley at the UFC's final event of 2024
At UFC on ESPN 63 on Dec. 14, Colby Covington will face Joaquin Buckley at the UFC's last event of the year. 'Chaos' stepped in on short notice to replace Ian Garry, who was plucked out of the card to replace an injured Belal Muhammad at UFC 310 last weekend. Garry ended up losing to Shavkat Rakhmonov in a close decision after three rounds.
Covington was last seen in action nearly exactly a year ago at UFC 296 in a losing effort to then-UFC welterweight champ Leon Edwards. It was the American wrestler's third shot at the title, losing in all of his attempts.
Meanwhile, Buckley, the No. 9-ranked welterweight is most known for his Knockout of the Year-winning two-touch spinning back-kick KO of Impa Kasanganay back in 2020. He's on a five-fight winning streak with his most recent victory a KO of former title challenger, Stephen Thompson, just last October.
