"Verbal participation trophy" - Fans react to Chael Sonnen "trying to sugarcoat" Colby Covington's loss at UFC Tampa in backstage pep talk

Joaquin Buckley capped off a stellar 2024 campaign with a dominant stoppage victory over former title challenger Colby Covington at UFC Tampa. Buckley’s precise striking and relentless pace proved too much for Covington, marking Buckley’s fourth win of the year and solidifying his rise in the welterweight division.

From the outset, 'New Mansa' controlled the fight, landing sharp strikes and fending off Covington’s takedown attempts in the first round. Covington managed a takedown in the second, but Buckley quickly regained his footing and resumed his striking dominance.

The third round saw Buckley leave Covington bloodied and battered, prompting a doctor’s stoppage late in the frame. Despite the defeat, UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen, who was cage-side, attempted to boost Covington’s spirits with a heartfelt pep talk.

Sonnen praised Covington’s effort and resilience, claiming:

“Not bad at all. Your kicks were on point tonight. He hit you with his, but those were hard shots, and it was hard for anybody to see because you just took him out. Even us in the corner, we're going, 'that's got it.' Well, I guess it didn't hurt… [Your’re] still going forward."

He added:

"And you took those, you got your head stuck in the middle. But you were working your way out, got your hands on him. It was great. Everything was going great. The tide was turning. That does not count. I do not accept that… But that was a great fight And you fought really hard.”

Fans, however, were less convinced. One quipped:

“Chael not doing him any favors trying to sugarcoat his loss.”

While another joked:

“Chael pretty much just gave him a verbal participation trophy 😂”

Check out some of the fan reactions below:

Fans react to Chael Sonnen's locker room words for Colby Covington. [Screenshot courtesy via X]

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Dana White weighs in on doctor's stoppage during Colby Covington vs. Joaquin Buckley fight

UFC CEO Dana White expressed skepticism about the doctor’s stoppage during Colby Covington’s third-round TKO loss to Joaquin Buckley at UFC Tampa.

In the post-fight press conference, White commented:

"Yeah, I was curious to see how it would go if it went five rounds. You know, if it went later in the rounds. You know, no doubt that was a bad cut, but that fight doesn't get stopped in Vegas. That fight keeps going in Vegas. 100%."

Check out Dana White's comments below: