"If you wanna be the heel, you gotta be able to take the boos" - Chael Sonnen praises Colby Covington for calling out Dustin Poirier after UFC 272
![(left to right) Chael Sonnen [image via Getty], Colby Covington and Dustin Poirier [Images via @colbycovmma and @dustinpoirier on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/03/38b6e-16468032790519-1920.jpg?w=500)
Chael Sonnen has praised Colby Covington for striking with his persona after his UFC 272 win over Jorge Masvidal.
According to the former UFC fighter, Covington was already thinking of his next fight long before his grudge match against Masvidal. Sonnen was further impressed by the former interim champ's ability to think on his feet and shift his focus from one opponent to another.
Sonnen lauded Covington for sticking to his image despite the boos and hatred he receives from the fans. In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, 'The American Gangster' said:
"Colby [Covington] tested the waters days ago about going up to 185 [middleweight] and seeing [Israel] Adesanya. Dana [White] wasn't a huge supporter of that. Great, no hard feelings. Colby changed on the spot and he went right after Dustin Poirier."
He added:
"When you have somebody that is this dedicated and this disciplined and will stick to kayfabe no matter what, including when the show is over, the contract signed off, the cheque's in hand. But he will stay on it anyway because it's what he brought you. He's not a fraud. He's not gonna laugh and he's not weak. If you wanna be the heel, you gotta be able to take the boos."
Watch Chael Sonnen discuss Colby Covington's persona below:
Colby Covington shifted his focus from Israel Adesanya to Dustin Poirier
Colby Covington has come up short in his two title shots against UFC welterweight king Kamaru Usman. Despite being the No.1 contender at 170 lbs, 'Chaos' is likely aware that a third attempt at the belt is unlikely after he defeated Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272.
Days before his bout against Masvidal, Covington teased a move up to middleweight to challenge Israel Adesanya for the 185 lbs throne. However, Dana White did not seem interested in the matchup.
Covington then shifted his focus from Adesanya to Dustin Poirer, insulting the lightweight fighter's family during the UFC 272 pre-fight presser. During his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan following the dominant win over Masvidal, 'Chaos' issued another call-out to Poirier, saying:
"I just took care of Miami street trash [referring to Masvidal], now it's time to take care of Louisiana swamp trash. Where you at Dustin Poirier?"
Watch Colby Covington's post-fight interview below: