Colby Covington responded when Donald Trump mentioned Khabib Nurmagomedov before him when discussing the US President-elect's favorite UFC fighters.
Colby Covington is a die-hard supporter of Donald Trump and was very vocal during Trump's successful 2024 US presidential campaign. Despite Covington's loyalty and devotion to Trump, the new president-elect quickly named Khabib Nurmagomedov one of his favorite fighters over Covington.
Trump is an avid UFC fan and has attended numerous events during his presidential campaign this year. He was last cageside at UFC 309 when Jon Jones defeated Stipe Miocic at Madison Square Garden in his native New York City.
While attending UFC 302 in Newark, Trump met with Nurmagomedov after the event and pledged to the UFC Hall of Famer to end the ongoing war between Israel and Palestine. In a later interview with Adin Ross, Trump mentioned Nurmagomedov's name first when asked about his favorite UFC fighters, pointing to Nurmagomedov's undefeated record and accolades.
Covington, who returns to the Octagon this weekend at UFC Tampa, fought for the 45th U.S. president at UFC 296 last year. Despite Trump's fervent admiration for Nurmagomedov, Covington believes there is a political explanation for Trump's position.
Colby Covington believes Donald Trump's fandom of Khabib Nurmagomedov is politically motivated
During his UFC Tampa pre-fight press conference, Covington responded to Trump's fandom of Nurmagomedov.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
“He didn't say Khabib was his favorite fighter, he was just asked, 'Who are some of your favorite fighters?' And he saw Khabib the week before, so he called out to him. We want good relations with Russia, so it made sense to go that route,” Covington said.
“We want peace in the Middle East, all over the world. We don't want Russia to go after Ukraine, we need more peace. He has a lot of favorite fighters that he likes, I know I'm one of his favorite fighters. He invited me to Mar-A-Lago, I sat next to him on election night, and he introduced me to Elon Musk for Thanksgiving!
In addition to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Trump has pledged to end Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine shortly after his inauguration. He boasts a positive relationship with longtime Russian President Vladimir Putin, an associate of Nurmagomedov.
Covington was invited to Trump's Mar-A-Lago estate to watch the results of the 2024 US presidential election in real time. Trump returns to the White House next month after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris in an electoral college landslide.
Donald Trump May Colby Covington vs. Joaquin Buckley attend
Covington and Nurmagomedov are just a few of Trump's favorite fighters on the roster. During a campaign speech, he gave a shoutout to former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland, another staunch supporter of his political career.
Trump could possibly attend Covington's return to the Octagon this weekend. Covington will take on rising contender Joaquin Buckley in the UFC Tampa main event as he looks to bounce back from his UFC 296 loss to Leon Edwards.
Contrary to what many may have thought, Covington doesn't seem bothered by Trump's comments about his favorite fighter. A win over Buckley this weekend would likely earn a shoutout from the new 47th U.S. president.
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