"Crying MAGA tears" - Fans rejoice Colby Covington's loss to Joaquin Buckley after he walks out with "racist a*s" Hulk Hogan at UFC Tampa

Colby Covington walked out to the octagon accompanied by Hulk Hogan, eliciting a wide variety of reactions from the MMA community and beyond. Some fans lambasted Covington, citing that the 71-year-old WWE great previously made racist remarks.

Back in 2015, a leaked video -- which ABC News reported was recorded in 2006 or 2007 -- showed Hogan (real name: Terry Bollea) using a racial slur while discussing his daughter Brooke's partner. 'The Hulkster' subsequently apologized for it.

Fast-forward to 2024 and Hogan walked out hoisting an American flag alongside Colby Covington for his fight against Joaquin Buckley, which headlined UFC Tampa (Dec. 14, 2024).

The ex-interim UFC welterweight champion was out-worked by Buckley, suffering a gruesome cut over his right eye and visible facial damage. Referee Dan Miragliotta called for a pause toward the closing moments of round three, and the octagon-side doctor examined the cut over Covington's eye.

Warning that he could lose his eyelid, she suggested stopping the fight. Miragliotta obliged, thereby handing Buckley the third-round TKO (doctor's stoppage) victory.

Covington himself has faced longstanding accusations of racism in his actions and socio-political assertions. He's vehemently refuted the allegations. Moreover, akin to fellow American Hogan, 'Chaos' happens to be a vocal supporter of former POTUS (President of the United States) and current President-elect, Donald Trump, who's also long been accused of racism.

Considering the variables at play, some fans sounded off on Colby Covington after his defeat against Joaquin Buckley. One X user used the 'Martin Scorcese Absolute Cinema' meme and wrote:

"Colby Covington walking out with racist a*s Hulk Hogan and being beat in a pool of his own blood... #UFCTampa"

A few other fight fans indicated that Covington was handily beaten by an African-American UFC fighter, Joaquin Buckley, which they deemed fitting because he'd allegedly directed racist remarks against that community. One fan tweeted:

"This sh** is beautiful"

Another commenter wrote:

"He knew what he was doing hulk Hogan called his daughter the n word lover and he was fighting black man lmao talk about Shakespeare poetry"

Alternatively, some netizens countered by accusing Covington's critics of racism. A fan accused the doctor of a premature stoppage. Meanwhile, others jested that Covington might now be cut from Trump's social circle. An observer tweeted:

"Sweet karma and victory"

Another alluded to Covington's vocal representation of Trump's M.A.G.A. (Make America Great Again) movement:

"Crying MAGA tears"

Check out the screenshots of a few reactions below:

Screenshots of tweets

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Colby Covington mimics Hulk Hogan's trademark move during entrance featuring Chael Sonnen

Ex-UFC star and retired MMA fighter Chael Sonnen served as Colby Covington's head coach heading into UFC Tampa. Both hail from an amateur wrestling background and have often implied that they draw inspiration from the art of professional wrestling to present an entertaining version of themselves to MMA fans.

Sonnen was a part of Covington's entrance at UFC Tampa, as was ex-WWE champion and professional wrestling legend Hulk Hogan. Incidentally, a gesture that piqued the attention of pro wrestling fans was 'Chaos' mimicking 'The Hulkster's' move of ripping his shirt off before competing.

Watch Colby Covington's 'Hulkamaniac' gesture alongside Hogan below: