DONBELIEVABLE
Colby Covington is hated by gym mates after career-saving switch to UFC bad boy – but Trump invited him to White House
COLBY COVINGTON was on the brink of being sacked by the UFC until he turned into a bad boy and became a favourite of President Donald Trump.
The 31-year-old Republican has become the hated face of the UFC for his trash-talking but won the love of the Trump family after he beat Rafael dos Anjos last year to claim the interim welterweight title.
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Covington - who is rarely pictured without a red ‘Make America Great Again’ cap - was invited to the White House in August 2018, and handed the president his UFC belt.
Trump’s sons, Donald Jr and Eric, were cageside for Covington’s last win against Robbie Lawler in August, and had Donald Sr on the phone to the UFC fighter post-fight.
‘Chaos’ promised to bring the UFC title to the White House again, as he challenges welterweight champ Kamaru Usman on Saturday -
When Covington beat Dong Hyun Kim in Singapore in 2017 to go on a four-fight win streak, he was told by matchmaker Sean Shelby his time in the promotion would be up after his next bout.
The soft-spoken all-American wrestler then took inspiration from legendary mouthpiece Chael Sonnen, who infamously insulted the nation of Brazil in disrespecting MMA icon Anderson Silva.
Covington revealed he turned public enemy before his fight with Brazilian Damian Maia in Sao Paulo two-years ago in a bid to turn around his UFC future.
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He told Candace Owens: “Before I fought the No 2 guy in the world, this guy named Demian Maia in Brazil, they had told my manager Dan Lambert that they weren’t going to re-sign me.
“They didn’t like my style. They didn’t like that I wasn’t entertaining, and this is before I really started to become an entertainer and understand the entertainment aspect of this business.
“So before this fight, they told me no matter what happens – I was ranked No6 in the world – we’re not re-signing you.
“‘So I go out there. I beat him up and leave him in a pool of his own blood in Sao Paulo, Brazil, his home city, and I shoot this promo on the Brazilians, and I say, ‘Hey, you guys are all a bunch of filthy animals, and, Brazil, you’re a dump.'”
“So I go and shoot this promo, and I wasn’t supposed to have my job, but that promo goes so viral on the internet, the UFC’s like, ‘We have to keep him. We have to re-sign him because that promo was so big,’ so that’s what saved my career, and that was the turning point of my career and the rest has been history.”
Covington kept his feud with Brazil running and in the summer of 2018 was scheduled to challenge for the interim title against Brazilian Rafael dos Anjos in Rio de Janeiro.
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But the fight was moved to Chicago after the UFC had fears over Covington’s safety due to his continued assault on Brazil.
He went on to beat Dos Anjos and went after every fighter at 170lbs - including his ATT colleague and former pal Jorge Masvidal.
Masvidal was accused of turning “jealous” after Covington’s title win against Dos Anjos - as their civil war ramped up.
Covington told ESPN: “As long as you are doing better than him and you are not helping him out anymore, then he doesn’t care about you.
“Now I’m making more money than him, banging hotter chicks than him and doing better in life than him. He’s just a jealous little b****.”
The pair were involved in an altercation cageside at UFC 241 that resulted in Covington being escorted out of the arena.
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But Masvidal is not the only gym-mate to turn on the Oregon State wrestler.
UFC lightweight Dustin Poirier called his training partner a “sell out” and a “phony” for his personality change, and told Covington: “Keep your wrestling sharp!! I'll be back to the gym in January! You'll need it.”
Ex-women’s strawweight champion and ATT star Joanna Jedrzejczyk slammed: "I never wish any fighter to get like hurt, I wish that Usman will beat his a**.
“I shouldn't say this because you always should support your people, but Colby is not a friend, he's just acting weird.
“He's an ugly guy. You never talk bad about your team-mates, doesn't matter if you like them or not."
Covington has also feuded with his boss Dana White as he accused the UFC president of “making up lies in the media” - adding the promoter does not value him enough.
He will even refuse to let the UFC chief award him with a title post-fight, telling Submission Radio: “If he tries to wrap it around my waist, I’m gonna take the belt from him and slap him in the face with it.”
White replied: "He's a big mouthed f***ing idiot.”
The man looking to prevent White and Covington having an awkward post-fight squabble is bitter rival Usman.
They have a long history, having clashed at a casino buffet in April as Usman and his manager Ali Abdelaziz cornered the American before the melee was broken up.
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Covington refers to his opponent as “Marty Fake Newsman” and insists he is the true welterweight champion, as his interim belt was stripped of him while he was injured.
After Covington beat veteran Lawler, in the post-fight interview he clashed with champion Usman, who offered his rival a street fight that same night.
But they settle their feud in the cage in Sin City with the bragging rights baring more weight than the title on the line.
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