Colby Covington is involved in a new rivalry.
The outspoken welterweight veteran made his presence felt backstage at UFC 314 in Miami this past Saturday, engaging in a verbal argument with Paddy Pimblett. The two fighters exchanged words, with Covington questioning the level of Pimblett`s competition, and Pimblett retorting by highlighting Covington`s recent losses.
Pimblett competed in the UFC 314 co-main event, delivering a dominant performance against Michael Chandler, culminating in a third-round TKO. His UFC record now stands at 7-0.
In a post-fight interview with ESPN, Pimblett labeled Covington “irrelevant,” prompting Covington to issue a response on his YouTube channel.
“Paddy decided to talk trash as I walked by, so I had to confront him,” Covington stated. “I needed to make it clear to him that he’s a weakling. The combined losing streak of his last three opponents, look it up, it’s 13 losses in a row. He acts like he`s important and a star, but he’s a nobody. He’s never headlined a major event. He’s never achieved anything significant. He’s never been a top contender. He’s a scrub.”
“The only reason people pay attention to you is because you look like Ellen DeGeneres and, frankly, it’s because of your bowl cut and British accent. That’s the only reason anyone notices you.”
Covington’s calculation regarding the losing streaks of Pimblett’s last three opponents (Chandler, Tony Ferguson, and King Green) is accurate based on the fighters` current records. However, it’s important to note that when they faced Pimblett, Chandler was on a two-fight losing streak, Ferguson had lost six in a row, and Green was actually coming off a victory. Nevertheless, Covington`s main point is valid: Pimblett`s opponents have been well-known names, but haven`t been very successful in recent fights.
It`s worth noting that Covington failed to mention that his own recent wins against Jorge Masvidal and former UFC champions Tyron Woodley and Robbie Lawler were also against opponents who were on two-fight losing streaks at the time. Masvidal hasn`t won a fight since 2019, and Woodley since 2018. Covington, a former interim UFC welterweight champion, has lost his last two fights and three of his last four. He hasn`t won since defeating Masvidal in March 2022.
Regardless of the statistics, Covington’s animosity towards Pimblett remains strong. If Pimblett decides to move up to the welterweight division in the future, Covington is ready to face him.
“Paddy Pimblett is a weakling,” Covington reiterated. “He needs to stop using my name to stay relevant. He’s only using me because he’s never accomplished anything himself. He’ll never reach a title fight. He’ll never win a title, ever. He’s an irrelevant bum.”
“So, when he stops cutting so much weight and wants to compete in a real man’s weight class, and fight a real man, he can get beaten. He needs to keep my name out of his mouth, or he’ll face the consequences.”
Wesley Dunham 
Marcus Blakely