Dana White Downplays Colby Covington’s Brazil Comments

Surging UFC welterweight contender Colby Covington drew the collective ire of Brazilian fight fans following his win over Demian Maia at October 28’s UFC Fight Night 119 from Sao Paulo, calling the town a ‘dump’ and its inhabitants ‘filthy animals’ to the point where he had to be escorted backstage by security as the riled-up crowd threw trash at him.

After the bout, UFC exec David Shaw revealed the promotion was “taking the situation with Covington very seriously” and “it’s something that we are not very happy about.”

That may have implied that Covington was in line for some sort of punishment for the callout, but after UFC President Dana White recently told reporters (via Combate) that Covington wouldn’t be punished and that Brazilian fans were tough enough to handle his words:

“I mean, listen, at the end of the day this is the fight business and people say a lot of mean things. I think the Brazilian people are tough enough to handle a guy saying some stuff to them at the end of the day. This has happened before. I don’t remember where we were but Al Iaquinta told all the fans to go f*ck themselves and a lot of other things that weren’t very nice.

“Obviously, we don’t like it and we frown upon it and we talk to these guys about stuff like that, but fights get very emotional, you know? It happens. I don’t think the Brazilian people should take it personal.”

Wite is correct that it’s the fight game and derogatory statements get thrown about each and every day, especially in the currently trash-talk focused MMA landscape.

Ranked at No. 3 and climbing, Covington is doing something right, although it remains to be seen if it actually earns him a big fight thanks to his reputation as one of MMA’s biggest blowhards among many fans.

He’s looking for a title shot against injured current welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, something White recently said the winner of the Robbie Lawler vs. Rafael dos Anjos UFC on FOX 26 main event will receive. So while the brash ATT-based wrestler may be doing everything he can to secure a big fight with his loud mouth, he may have to wait and win one more high-profile bout before he reaches that territory.

He’s not going to be suspended for badmouthing Brazil if and when he does, however.