The man of many hats — prolific wrestler, world-class MMA fighter, self-imposed villain, and literally a MAGA hat. It’s been a long year fraught with cheap suits and hurt feelings, but Colby Covington now stands at the pinnacle of MMA, even despite a fifth-round TKO to UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 245 Saturday.
The journey hasn’t been easy, as most quests for greatness go. So how is it that, with a record of 15-2, he was almost cut from the UFC? It’s historically been the trend that pure wrestlers, although effective, aren’t fan-favorite fighters. So if you can’t cause a stir with flashy KOs or raucous trash talk, you won’t succeed (with some exceptions, of course). And Colby was forced to come to this realization.
The Genesis
Covington was on a title run when he learned of the possibility that he’d be cut from the UFC. He had gotten off of a decision win against then-ranked no. six welterweight Dong Hyun Kim and was gearing up for a bout against the greatly respected BJJ master Demian Maia. Thinking that this may be his last job for the UFC, Covington decided to go hard in the paint.
After beating Maia in Brazil, Colby made his first major stride in turning heel. He set fire to the Brazilian crowd by calling them all “filthy animals.” These politically incorrect and rather racist comments would become a staple of his act.
Of course, there’s nothing worse than a heel that’s halfway committed. So Colby got his hands on a MAGA hat and Donald Trump Jr’s book. Oh, let’s not forget the closet full of suits that looks like it cost a small handful of nickels. It’s at this juncture where I personally separate out the new character of Covington from the man we knew before: I call this new man “Colbert.”
The Realization
Colbert couldn’t stop winning. He possessed inhuman pace, dynamic wrestling, and swarming striking. These valuable tools enabled him to soundly smash the most dangerous competition of his career: Rafael Dos Anjos and Robbie Lawler. He even spent the majority of his fight with “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler –a former welterweight champion and renowned striker– standing up and exchanging.
Now, Colbert is feeling supreme. Bringing with him his interim belt (which was stripped from him) wherever he goes. Paying pretty ladies to flank him during interviews. Burning bridges with old friends. All of this led to firecracker promotion, so Dana White had no choice but to give Colbert a shot at the title. And on December 14, although Colbert came up short, he put on a phenomenal show of toughness and grit against Kamaru Usman.
Regardless of the result, this championship fight saw both fighters gain stock in the popularity market. And Colby’s transformation into Colbert saved him from the brink of being cut and took him all the way to the doorstep of a championship. Say what you will about the man, but he didn’t turn heel and run. He turned into a heel and fought.
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