If the doctor hadn't have called off Colby Covington's UFC Tampa main event this past weekend, cornerman Chael Sonnen was seemingly prepared to.
Sonnen had a cageside view as the former interim welterweight champion returned to action 12 months on from his third failed attempt at capturing the undisputed crown.
Covington made the walk to headline the year-ending UFC Fight Night on short notice, doing battle with the charging Joaquin Buckley inside Amalie Arena.
The polarizing veteran's pursuit of a fourth shot at the gold began in difficult fashion, with "New Mansa" opening up a deep cut above his eye early before largely beating "Chaos" up through two rounds. And the first-round wound became so severe that the doctor stepped in to call off proceedings.
Both Dana White and Covington expressed disagreement with the call in the aftermath. One of those in the defeated fighter's team, however, was apparently prepared to make the decision if the physician had not.
During a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Sonnen reflected on fight night in Florida, where Covington fell to a 2-4 record across his last six bouts and 0-4 against names currently inside the rankings at 170 pounds.
Interestingly, "The American Gangster" suggested he had the towel close by to throw in after seeing Covington's struggles to fight through the deep and bloody cut.
Colby was getting hit on his feet with everything you could do, he’s busted open so bad that the doctor has to look at it three times,” Sonnen said (h/t Bloody Elbow). “Twice, he stops the action to let it keep going, the third time he goes, ‘Man we can’t keep going anymore.’ I was going to stop that fight, I already grabbed the towel.
When the doctor came in for the third time, and I’m watching that blood, it’s not stopping,” Sonnen continued. “It’s going into the eye, and that’s the only thing you’re really looking for. When we as fight fans, as ‘tough guys’, think the doctor should’ve stopped it, we’re talking about it doesn’t matter how bad the cut is from our perspective, as long as it’s not going in the eye. If it’s blinding the guy, it doesn’t matter if it’s a little or a lot…it’s the exact same thing. I said, ‘Hand me that towel, I’m stopping this.’
That ultimately wasn't required, however, with the cageside doctor advising referee Dan Miragliotta to wave off the contest in fear of Covington losing his eyelid.
With that, "Chaos" has now gone winless across a second straight calendar year, having not had his hand raised since a pay-per-view main event opposite longtime rival Jorge Masvidal in March 2022.
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