Khabib Nurmagomedov Tells UFC Fighters To Boycott Colby Covington
Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has cautioned fighters to refuse to fight with Colby Covington following his recent altercation with Jorge Masvidal in Miami.
‘Chaos’ was out having dinner with the Nelk Boys and social media star Bob Menery at the Papi Steak restaurant in Miami when Masvidal was tipped off on his whereabouts. ‘Gamebred’ proceeded to wait for the welterweight top contender outside the restaurant wearing a surgical mask and hoodie. He sucker-punched Covington along with four to five men.
Masvidal was arrested after the altercation that left Covington with a broken tooth and damaged Rolex. ‘Gamebred’ did not take too kindly to Covington’s many provocations in the build-up of the fight and it was clear that their rivalry was far from over after Covington dominated Masvidal in the octagon for a unanimous decision win at UFC 272.
In a joint ESPN interview with Stephen A Smith, Covington said: “He is a deadbeat dad – the only life-altering damage he is doing is to his kids. He doesn’t talk to his kids. He’s a deadbeat man. He’s a nobody, he’s a criminal.” (h/t Mirror)
Now, the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov shared his thoughts after the incident and told fellow welterweight fighters to boycott Colby Covington in an effort to let him know his brand of trash-talking will no longer be tolerated.
‘The Eagle’ proved to be a very respectful fighter who does not promote trash-talking. His inclination to put his moral values to the forefront directly clash with Covington’s method of crossing the line where he has criticized fighters’ culture, country, and even involved kids.
Taking to Twitter, Nurmagomedov commented:
Is Khabib Nurmagomedov right to suggest a boycott?
Khabib Nurmagomedov was recently inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame headlining the class of 2022. While there’s no controversy regarding his induction, his comments on the situation may rub off some people the wrong way. Many fighters will agree with the Dagestani legend’s take on trash-talking and the importance of respect in the sport.
However, many will disagree with him as well. UFC is a business at the end of the day and promotion is a part of it. It’s hard to deny the role of trash-talking in the rise of fame for fighters such as Conor McGregor or Colby Covington. Nurmagomedov does not agree with their style of promotion, and there is an argument to be made for the place of distasteful comments.
Covington has previously said some unfavorable things about Nurmagomedov. In an interview with MMA Junkie back in 2019, ‘Chaos’ called him a “sheep lover” before following up with another tweet responding to PETA’s concerns over Nurmagomedov wrestling a bear: “If they think wrestling bears is bad, wait ’til PETA finds out what he does with the sheep!”
