"Not that woke, spineless coward like LeBron James" - Colby Covington calls out Lakers superstar ahead of his fight with Jorge Masvidal
LeBron James is one of the most polarizing and influential athletes in the world. He has a lot of fans, but also a ton of haters. Among the latter category is UFC fighter Colby Covington, who name-dropped James during the weigh-ins to hype his upcoming fight against Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272.
With controversial podcast Joe Rogan back in the UFC, Covington took the mic to promote his match on Saturday night. He first welcomed Rogan back before talking trash at his opponent. Covington then called out LA Lakers superstar James for being 'woke' and thanked the police, military and first responders.
"It's so great to have you back, Joe Rogan. We love you at the UFC; we missed you. F**k cancel culture. Tonight is street Judas' last supper. Tomorrow I’m sending him to the electric chair. I’m going to flip the switch and fry his bum ass and electrify the T-Mobile Arena like it's never been electrified before," Covington said.
Colby Covington calls LeBron James a Woke Spineless Coward at UFC 272 Weigh In https://t.co/btLc9H623j
"Before I go, I want to say a big thank you to the real heroes and celebrities in this country. Not that woke, spineless coward like LeBron James. I'm talking about our heroes, law enforcement, military, our first responders. God bless you; God bless you all. God bless America," Covington added.
For those not familiar with the UFC or Colby Covington, he's a fighter in the Welterweight division. He was a former interim world champion, but lost two title fights to current undisputed welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.
Covington developed his brash, cocky and heel persona in 2017 when he was on the verge of getting cut by the UFC. He was previously a good guy before becoming a copy of Conor McGregor to sell his fights.
LeBron James has been called out by Colby Covington multiple times
Friday night's call-out by Colby Covington was not the first time the fighter tried to beef with LeBron James.
Covington criticized James and the rest of the NBA for postponing games at the height of the George Floyd issue in 2020. He also called James a 'spineless coward' after defeating Tyron Woodley the same year.
Oh wow, you postponed your games?! Wanna prove you’re really about change? Quit your multi million dollar jobs and soft privileged lives playing a kids game, take a massive pay cut and perform the toughest job in America. Become cops!!!! @NBA @MLB @KingJames
Apart from those rants, Covington also claimed that he would easily defeat James, who is nine inches taller and 100 pounds heavier, in a fight. The comments came after Logan Paul had knocked out former NBA player Nate Robinson in a boxing match.
Heard they finally scraped @nate_robinson’s carcass off the @staplescenter floor. I’d make @kingjames eat the canvas in half the amount of time. Everyone knows current @NBA players are the softest and most privileged athletes on the planet. #TysonJones #Facts
However, it has not always been hate towards "The King" from Covington. Before becoming a 'bad' guy in the UFC, Covington had a warm personality. He congratulated James after the latter won the 2016 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors.
What. A. Game. Congrats to Lebron and Cleveland. #nbafinals
It remains to be seen if James responds to Covington's latest comments.