Daniel Cormier explains how Colby Covington's divisive 'gimmick' has backfired, with 'Chaos' falling to 2-4 in his last six fights following Joaquin Buckley's brutal defeat at UFC Tampa.
The former two-time champion remains not only one of the best fighters to ever compete in the Octagon, but also one of MMA's most insightful experts – and his analysis of Colby Covington's fall from grace may be one of his best.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Daniel Cormier explains how Colby Covington's 'gimmick' let him down
The 15-minute video, as shared on his official YouTube channel, is definitely worth a listen in full, with the legendary UFC champion explaining how a once valuable gimmick turned sour.
“Sometimes the gimmick is very transparent, [but] sometimes it's a little more hidden in terms of whether it's real, or whether you think someone is giving you a character.
“Covington was always a good fighter, always tough, but no one really cared,” Daniel Cormier rightly said, with 'Chaos' ironically being a rather humble and down-to-earth personality before turning around around 2017.
“That's all fun and games until you start losing… Your gimmick of being as big as anything you want in the world, your idea of how you want people to see you, can be big [and] it may be foolhardy, but in the end you have to win, right?
“All the time Colby was vocal – when he was talking about Brazilians – it was because he beat him up for 25 minutes. And for a long time he ran and rode a hot man. This guy was 1B to Kamaru Usman's 1A for a long time.”
That's very true, despite all of Covington's controversial comments over the years, he remained at or near the top of the welterweight division for years; and to some extent we have only ourselves to blame.
“When he disrespected Leon Edwards' father, everyone turned the other cheek [because] Colby is right, this is what he does… When he disrespected Kamaru Usman, everyone turned the other cheek because it was the gimmick. And I think as time went on, people started to see through the gimmick.
Covington was soundly defeated by Joaquin Buckley at UFC Tampa, with the likes of Belal Muhammad, Kamaru Usman and even GOAT Jon Jones piling up in the aftermath of 'Chaos'.
Jones was particularly brutal in his response, claiming it was “funny” to see Covington beat so viciously – even teasing that “at least [Donald Trump] I have to see myself win.”
That reaction, whether justified or not, could spell the end for Covington, who now has to make a choice; double down and remain the UFC's No. 1 public enemy, or soften some of the backlash by giving up the character.
“While sometimes it was entertaining, sometimes cringe-inducing, or sometimes just downright uncomfortable – he ultimately made himself valuable and made a lot of money doing it,” Cormier said.
Ironically, Covington credits his infamous “Filthy Animals” speech with saving his career, revealing in a previous interview that the UFC was considering cutting him from the roster due to his perceived “boring” style.
“I'm not here to bash Colby Covington, I want your guys' opinions on what happens next to a man who has lived at the top of the sport for so long and in part due to the fact that he was loud, boisterous and all those other things.
'Is he just not having it anymore and how does he deal with the storm coming from the boys he's being dropped on? I really believe that if he goes into hiding, things will get worse.”
Covington has fired back at Jones and certainly hasn't minced words, but when all is said and done; 'Bones' remains heavyweight champion and the consensus GOAT, while Covington is 2-4 in his last six.
“He has shot to the top, in terms of Usman, Edwards and Jon Jones, but those guys are still in the moment, while his time is starting to pass him by.”
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