When Colby Covington revealed why he took up the 'evil' character we see today - Throwback
Colby Covington has become the biggest villain in the UFC since he committed himself and embraced an 'evil' character. The former interim welterweight champion's character and antics have been similar to those of a pro wrestling heel and he has benefited from that.
Covington once revealed why he decided to commit himself to being a villain in the promotion. He mentioned that ahead of his bout with Demian Maia, the UFC notified his manager and American Top Team coach Dan Lambert that they were going to cut him from the promotion and so, he decided to take matters into his own hands during his post-fight interview.
He said:
"Before I fought the number-two 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." [0:02 - 0:12]
'Chaos' also brought up that the promotion didn't like that he wasn't a character and that fans didn't care about his fighting style or personality. He mentioned that he changed all that with the way he addressed the Brazilian crowd after defeating Maia, saying:
"It hurt, you know, but that's what this business is, man, it's a ruthless business...I knew I had to make a change. I had to do something that was going to get the fans involved." [0:27 - 0:37]
Covington has earned plenty of opportunities since he took up the character and became a villain and was most recently named as the next welterweight title challenger despite being inactive for over a year.
What did Colby Covington say to the fans in Brazil at UFC Fight Night 119?
After almost 2 years of back-and-forth, Colby Covington and Tyron Woodley finally settle the beef this weekend. Here's a throwback of Chaos mocking the entire nation of Brazil and his arch rival.
#UFCVegas11 #UFC #ColbyCovington #TyronWoodley https://t.co/SxfGCnNi7Z
Colby Covington's villainous persona originated at UFC Fight Night 119, which took place at the Ginasio do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
'Chaos' felt that he needed to do something that would force the UFC to change their minds about cutting him after telling him that he wasn't entertaining and that fans didn't care about him. Following his unanimous decision win over the former middleweight title challenger, he used his post-fight interview as an opportunity to spark a heated reaction from the Brazilian fans, saying:
"Brazil, you're a dump. All you filthy animals suck. I got one thing to say, Tyron Woodley, I'm coming for you. If you don't answer the front door, I'm gonna knock it in and I'm gonna take what's mine, that welterweight belt."