Does Colby Covington need a 'face' turn to save his UFC career after 3 title fight defeats? Exploring next steps for 'Chaos'
UFC 296 marked the third time that Colby Covington has taken part in an undisputed title fight. The event, which was the final pay-per-view of the year, also marked what may very well have been Covington's final crack at undisputed gold. At least, at welterweight.
Just like in his previous title bouts with former champion Kamaru Usman, 'Chaos' came up short against welterweight's new divisional kingpin, Leon Edwards. However, Covington's performance was heavily criticized, as was his post-fight interview and antics before and after the fight.
Prior to UFC 296, Covington's conduct was also excused by his fans as a necessary evil to promote his fights. But in the wake of his whimpering loss to Edwards, even his own supporters have turned their back on. Now, it appears that he has only two options to rebuild himself, one of which involves a 'face' turn.
Analyzing Colby Covington's performance inside and outside the octagon
Ahead of UFC 296, Colby Covington courted significant controversy by trash-talking Leon Edwards' late father, who was gunned down outside of a nightclub when Edwards was barely coming into his teenage years. Covington was widely criticized for taking his trash talk too far.
This sentiment was even echoed by UFC CEO Dana White, who rarely ever disapproves of his fighters' choice of words. Due to the condemnation he drew from the MMA community, as well as his bout with Edwards being his very last title shot, Covington—who turns 36 in February—had everything to lose and gain.
Yet, come fight night, it was not 'Chaos' who stepped into the cage. Instead, it was a tentative Covington, neutered by Edwards' stance-switching and distance management. The All-American was picked apart at long range, with Edwards battering his leg with low kicks, sometimes kicking Covington out of his stance.
Check out Leon Edwards' low-kicking masterclass against Colby Covington in the clip below:
The former interim champion's offense was toothless, and with Edwards' distance management forcing him to take additional steps to get close, Covington found himself leaping into range, only to get stung by check hooks. Finally, when he did secure a takedown after failing, he did nothing.
In fact, Edwards either immediately sprung to his feet to secure a takedown of his own or scrambled into a better position on the mat. Even in the wrestling department, the 35-year-old was outdone by a man with no traditional wrestling background, almost conceding two submission attempts.
Covington's legendary cardio and pace were nowhere to be seen, and having lost four rounds, he barely won the fifth after securing a late takedown and throwing pitter-patter ground-and-pound with no urgency to score a finish. It was Covington's worst-ever performance.
Check out Leon Edwards outwrestling Colby Covington in the clip below:
Then, his perplexing decision to question the loss left even his fans with a sour taste in their mouths. Covington, who championed American patriotism ahead of the fight to tremendous support, was booed in favor of an Englishman, scorned by the crowd that cheered him on his way to the cage.
Even Donald Trump, the man around him, 'Chaos' built his entire persona, walked out of the arena while Covington praised him in his post-fight speech. Drowned by the boos from those who were once his fans, Covington then took aim at the crowd, insulting their financial status to draw even greater contempt from his own fans.
With no seeming concept of damage control, the former interim champion doubled down on his comments about Edwards' father at the post-fight press conference, refusing to apologize, before issuing a challenge to Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson, who is 1-3 in his last four fights and turns 41 in February.
He did so while refusing to face Shavkat Rakhmonov. With no wins over anyone currently ranked in the top 10, and all of his UFC wins have come against the unranked, retired, and a lightweight outside of the top 10 in his own division.
His callout of Thompson, who has a known weakness to wrestlers and is coming off a loss, will only serve to reignite claims that Covington avoids tough matchups and refuses to fight anyone besides the reigning champion, coming off a win.
Colby Covington's path to redemption
With virtually everyone turning their backs on him, Colby Covington is at a career crossroads. He has failed to capture the undisputed welterweight title every single time, and his low finishing rate and wrestling-focused style have not earned him many new fans. Instead, it was his trash talk that drew interest.
Unfortunately, after UFC 296, his shtick has worn thin. He failed to deliver on his promise and was unable to back up his trash talk when it mattered most. This was made all the worse by the fact that his title shot against Leon Edwards was unearned. Furthermore, he turned on his own fans.
"You're all a bunch of broke b*tches anyway, f*** you!"
Check out Colby Covington turning on the crowd (0:12) in the clip below:
He now has two choices. Covington can, first, build himself back up by facing actual contenders in the division instead of the aging fighters on yesteryear on a losing streak. This, however, is unlikely given how often he has avoided fighting anyone of competitive merit.
His only win since losing to Kamaru Usman was over Jorge Masvidal, who is retired and was ranked outside of the top 10 when he was an active fighter. The only other recourse would be for Covington to abandon his persona, which has overstayed its welcome.
Fans no longer take it seriously, and his refusal to acknowledge his own losses is a brand of delusion that not even Conor McGregor, who despises defeat as much as anyone, subscribes to. Before playing the character fans now associate him with, Covington conducted himself in a respectful manner.
"I try to make it cool for the fans, and that's what it's all about. Making it entertaining and fun for them."
Check out Colby Covington talking about his persona (1:02) in the clip below:
He was soft-spoken, avoided drama, and even once bowed to Wagner Silva after defeating him in his sophomore UFC fight. He has nothing else to gain from continuing to play a character that his own fans have turned against. Covington has built his fanbase and has no more titles to chase.
To repair his image and regain even a modicum of goodwill, he ought to turn 'face' and give fans a genuine glimpse of who he really is after all these years.