Colby Covington expressed disappointment in his performance and blamed perceived bias from the judges due to his political views for his unanimous decision loss to Leon Edwards at UFC 296, while also signaling interest in fighting Stephen Thompson next.
Colby Covington had a rough night at UFC 296. He’s pointing fingers at the judges, claiming they snubbed him in his bout against Leon Edwards.
Shock rippled through Covington as Edwards was named the victor. The unanimous decision, with scores of 49-46, left him reeling. Despite his efforts, Covington saw his third title shot slip away, citing bias among the officials.
“I owned rounds three to five,” Covington insisted during the post-fight press conference. “The final round? A no-brainer. Edwards barely scratched me. Sure, he landed a few low kicks. But hey, I checked those. I was convinced I’d done enough for the win. But the judges? They never side with me. They despise me ’cause I’m a Trump guy. And let’s face it, Trump’s not exactly the crowd favorite here. But life goes on.”
When you crunch the numbers, Covington outstruck Edwards, 109 to 65. Takedowns? A dead heat, both snagging two. Yet, Edwards had the edge in significant strikes, landing 57 to Covington’s 44.
The judges, a trio of seasoned pros, were in rare agreement. They handed Edwards the first four rounds, Covington only the last. All rounds scored 10-9.
Comparing Covington’s stats against Edwards to his previous tussle with Jorge Masvidal is telling. Against Masvidal, Covington was a striking machine, throwing 218 punches and landing 94 significant ones. Masvidal managed just 67.
Known for his relentless attack, Covington seemed off-pace this time. He chalked it up to time away from the octagon.
“My performance? Maybe a 5 out of 10,” he admitted. “I could sit here, make excuses. Maybe I should’ve moved differently. Timing was off. But excuses aren’t my style.”
“I held back,” he later confessed. “It felt more like a sparring session than a fight. Trust me, I’m better than that. At 35, I’ve still got my best days ahead.”
Amidst political comments and nods to Trump, Covington remained upbeat despite his third title loss. His eyes are now on Stephen Thompson, who lost to Shavkat Rakhmonov that same night.
Covington dismissed a fight with the unbeaten Rakhmonov. Thompson, however, piqued his interest.
“Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson’s been running his mouth,” Covington declared. “He plays the nice guy, but he’s been trash-talking me. I’d love to see him try that in the octagon.”
“He’s been yapping about breaking my jaw,” Covington continued. “Always throwing shade. I’d love to see him say it to my face. He’s bold with the media, but face to face? Never seen it.”