Colby Covington is speaking out on his departure from American Top Team.
Covington has always expressed his loyalty to ATT head honcho Dan Lambert but things just became too hostile in the Coconut Creek gym. Since going full tilt with his MAGA persona, Covington has drawn the ire of many, including his former teammates. “Chaos” ruffled the feathers of Jorge Masvidal, Dustin Poirier, and Joanna Jedrzejczyk, leading Lambert to implement a ban on trash-talking between training partners. It didn’t take long for Covington to make his exit.
Colby Covington Explains How Complaints Led To His ATT Departure
Appearing on BJPenn Radio, Covington claimed that his ex-teammates were constantly complaining and he felt restricted during the end of his days with ATT.
“Yeah, that’s exactly right. A lot of people were complaining. A lot of people were up in their feelings. They don’t understand it. They don’t understand the psychology that goes into it. There’s a reason that no one can do what I can do. There’s a reason why people actually are drawn to me. There’s a reason I’m the people’s champ. I fight for the people. I speak for the people. I think people like that I’m real and I stand up. I’m not afraid to say the cold, hard truth. If you’re not okay with the brutal, honest truth, that’s your problem. Facts don’t care about your feelings. They’re still facts.”
The former interim UFC welterweight champion says he’s working on “Colby Covington Incorporated.” Gilbert Burns has claimed that Covington is training at MMA Masters in South Florida but “Chaos” says he’s working on building his team. Covington said anyone who wants to join his team must be of the same mindset and he plans to help fighters market themselves.
Covington was last seen in action back in Dec. 2019. He challenged Kamaru Usman for the UFC welterweight title. After five rounds of back-and-forth action, Usman stopped Covington via TKO in the fifth round. Covington insists he’s been ready to return to action since January and wants a rematch with Usman or a grudge match with Masvidal.