UFC welterweight contender Colby Covington recently revealed that he had an opportunity to go back to American Top Team, but turned it down.
Covington is set to face his former friend and ATT teammate Jorge Masvidal in the main event of UFC 272. It is arguably one of the biggest grudge matches in UFC history and one of the rare non-title main events in recent memory.
A major storyline of the Covington/Masvidal fight is the two fighters' time at ATT, and Covington's eventual departure. Covington left the team after near brawls and building tension between Covington and Masvidal, Joanna Jędrzejczyk, and Dustin Poirier.
ATT owner Dan Lambert has recently detailed his version of what led to Covington leaving the team, and that Covington's fractured relationship with Masvidal was unfixable.
During a recent interview with ESPN's Brett Okamoto, Covington admitted that he turned down an offer to return to ATT after the initial split.
"Yeah, I got invited back by Dan and Conan," Covington said. "Yeah, go ask them. I got texts, if you want to see the receipts I can show you. I have them, they invited me back. I didn't want to go back. It wasn't a good situation for me anymore. The last two years of training there, just all drama. Terrible energy. I couldn't have any focus in my career, there was no direction, nothing. Just, it was terrible. It was draining me and I wasn't getting the best out of myself. What was sacrificed was my training and my evolution as a fighter.
"Now, I rid myself of that drama and all that stuff, I have a great camp that actually cares about me. It's not about money, it's not about paychecks, it's about developing us as a fighter. Evolving. Taking the steps to get better every single day and I've seen the growth."
Covington went on to join nearby MMA Masters and is now coached by Cesar Carneiro and Daniel Valverde. He has said on numerous occasions how much of a burden training at ATT was for him during the final days of his tenure.
Covington's matchup with Masvidal isn't just seen by some as a fighter vs. fighter battle, but also one with his former gym ATT. Covington will have the chance to silence his critics this weekend at UFC 272.
What is your prediction for Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal?