Colby Covington has ignited a new rivalry in the world of MMA.
The outspoken welterweight veteran made his presence felt backstage at UFC 314 at the Kaseya Center in Miami this past Saturday, engaging in a verbal confrontation with Paddy Pimblett. The two fighters traded words, with Covington questioning the caliber of Pimblett`s past adversaries, while the British fighter retorted by highlighting Covington`s recent losses.
Pimblett competed in the co-main event of UFC 314, delivering a dominant performance against Michael Chandler, culminating in a third-round TKO victory. This win extended his undefeated UFC record to 7-0.
In a post-fight interview with ESPN, Pimblett dismissed Covington as “irrelevant,” prompting a fiery response from Covington via his YouTube channel.
“Paddy decided to mouth off as I walked by, so I had to address him,” Covington stated. “I needed to make it clear he`s a little `b*tch boy`. If you examine the combined losing streak of his last three opponents, you`ll find it`s a staggering 13 losses consecutively. He tries to portray himself as relevant and a star, but he`s a nobody. He`s never headlined a major event, never achieved anything significant, and has never been a top contender. He`s simply a scrub.”
“The only reason anyone pays attention to him is because he resembles a less charismatic Ellen DeGeneres, and frankly, it`s his bowl cut and English accent that draw any attention.”
Covington`s calculation regarding the losing streaks of Pimblett’s recent opponents (Chandler, Tony Ferguson, and King Green) is accurate in terms of their current records. However, it`s worth noting that at the time they faced Pimblett, Chandler was on a two-fight losing streak, Ferguson had suffered six consecutive defeats, and Green was actually coming off a win. Nevertheless, Covington`s overall point remains valid: Pimblett`s opponents, while recognizable names, have not been at their peak performance in recent times.
Interestingly, Covington omitted mentioning that his own recent victories against Jorge Masvidal and former UFC champions Tyron Woodley and Robbie Lawler were also against opponents on two-fight losing streaks when they fought him. Masvidal hasn`t secured a win since 2019, and Woodley since 2018. Covington, a former interim UFC welterweight champion, has himself suffered two consecutive losses and three losses in his last four bouts. His last victory was against Masvidal in March 2022.
Regardless of the statistical nuances, Covington`s animosity towards Pimblett is evident, and should “The Baddy” decide to move up to the welterweight division of 170 pounds in the future, Covington is ready and waiting.
“Paddy Pimblett is a `b*tch`,” Covington reiterated. “He needs to stop using my name to stay relevant. He`s only using me because he’s accomplished nothing himself. He`ll never compete for a title, let alone win one. He’s an irrelevant bum.”
“So, when he stops drastically cutting weight and wants to compete at a real man`s weight class and fight a real man, he can get soundly defeated. He needs to keep my name out of his mouth, or he`ll face the consequences.”
