"He can't get his own heat" - Ariel Helwani breaks down how Colby Covington's "wearing the MAGA hat and being pro-Trump" UFC gimmick has grown stale
Ariel Helwani recently expressed his doubts about Colby Covington's demeanor over the years in the UFC. Helwani claimed that it is beginning to wear off, which would likely limit his capacity to attract people.
Covington is widely known for his unspoken and unfiltered nature. The American is also a longest-standing supporter of Donald Trump. Following the release of his 'Chaos' persona several years ago, Covington began donning MAGA (Make America Great Again) hats and bringing up the newly elected U.S. President at almost every chance he gets to speak. Trump has reciprocated by praising the former interim welterweight champion on numerous occasions.
In a recent episode of The Ariel Helwani Show, the MMA journalist discussed Covington's personality. Helwani believes that while it may have worked a few years ago, which helped him to draw an audience, it is now starting to fade, citing Covington's recent octagon walkout.
''Here's the thing about the the shtick, the gimmick, it worked well a few years ago when wearing the MAGA hat and being pro-Trump was almost like a heat magnet if you will. It's not a heat magnet and certainly not in the world of the UFC and certainly not in Florida... Colby was a mid-tier welterweight who no one really had any sort of strong feelings about and once he realized that he needed to start playing the heel, he started to climb the ranks.''
Helwani added:
''But the consistent theme throughout has been he can't get his own heat. He has to take someone else's heat and put it on his head, use that to attract the heat.''
Check out Ariel Helwani's comments below (4:18):
Colby Covington blames Donald Trump for defeat at UFC Tampa
Colby Covington returned to the octagon and faced emerging contender Joaquin Buckley in a welterweight bout at UFC Tampa this past weekend. Unfortunately, 'Chaos' suffered a cut above his right eye, prompting the cage-side doctor to step in and have a look. The doctor determined that Covington was unfit to continue, as a result referee decided to end the bout and declare Buckley the winner in the third round.
In a recent video uploaded on his YouTube channel, Covington acknowledged his loss and stated that he was busy advocating for Donald Trump for the presidential election, which had a significant role in his defeat:
''This wasn’t a full training camp, I was campaigning for Trump, getting him ready. I wasn’t even in the training room. I came off the couch.'' [H/t: Bloody Elbow]
Check out the full video below: