Colby Covington embraced the comparison of being labeled as the Donald Trump of the UFC.
Covington and Trump, renowned for their steadfast friendship, align closely in their political beliefs. 'Chaos' has publicly voiced his endorsement of the 45th US president, a sentiment reciprocated by Trump on occasion.
Their camaraderie shone through as Covington paid a visit to the White House following his win over Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 225 in June 2018, where he secured the UFC interim welterweight championship. The polarizing MMA fighter is often spotted actively participating in Trump's political rallies.
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During his recent appearance on SOSCAST w/ Adam Sosnick, the podcast host posited to Covington that likening him to "the Donald Trump of the UFC" would be fitting, given their shared penchant for stirring controversy.
'Chaos' replied:
"I take pride in that, man. He talks the talk, and he walks the walk; he does good business. You know, it's all about doing good business for the UFC; it's all about making money, and there's no one who knows how to make money better than a guy like Donald Trump."
Check out Colby Covington's comments below (1:23):
Covington is currently grappling with the aftermath of his one-sided unanimous decision loss against the reigning 170-pound champion, Leon Edwards, at UFC 296 last December. The 36-year-old Californian was previously riding a wave of success with a seven-fight win streak but now finds himself in a challenging phase, having fallen short in all three of his undisputed title opportunities.
Colby Covington blames UFC 296 loss on judges' bias against Donald Trump support
At the post-event press conference for UFC 296, Colby Covington stirred controversy by suggesting an unconventional explanation for his loss, claiming that the judges favored Leon Edwards due to his close association with Donald Trump:
"I thought I had the win, I thought I did enough, but the judges never favor me, they hate me because I support Trump, and everybody hates Trump in this building, so it is what it is. Life goes on."
Check out Colby Covington's comments below (6:58):