MMA veteran Gleison Tibau has faced some of the best grapplers in the sport, but he thinks Colby Covington is the best at 170 pounds.
Tibau and Covington used to train together at American Top Team before Covington left the gym for MMA Masters. His dismissal was mostly due to ongoing feuds with teammates such as Jorge Masvidal and Dustin Poirier.
Covington has managed to alienate himself from most of his former ATT teammates, but Tibau is not one of them. In a recent Instagram comment on a post by MMA Uncensored, Tibau praised Covington as the best grappler in the welterweight division.
Tibau’s praise of Covington comes despite the two-time UFC title challenger’s stance regarding his previous comments about Brazil. Following his win over Demian Maia, Covington called out the Brazilian crowd as “filthy animals” and was blasted by many of his colleagues.
Covington most recently fell to UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 268. Despite losing two of his last three to Usman, Covington remains ranked #1 at 170 pounds.
Tibau’s first season in the PFL featured a controversial win over Rory MacDonald. He is planning on contending for the league title for the 2022 season.
While it’s unclear if Covington will ever earn a UFC title, big fights with names such as Masvidal and Poirier remain on the table in 2022 and beyond.
Do you think Colby Covington is the best wrestler in the welterweight division?
