Joaquin Buckley and Colby Covington are set to clash in the main event of UFC Tampa, and the buildup has been as intense as expected.
Both fighters have engaged in their share of trash talk, but Buckley couldn’t help but laugh at Covington’s attempts to dismiss their history.
According to “New Mansa,” the two once trained together at the MMA Masters gym in Florida, where he even offered to help the former interim champion prepare for a UFC title fight. However, he claims Covington avoided sparring with him.
“It’s funny how he was scared to just train with me, and now he’s stepping in the cage with me,” Buckley said during UFC Tampa media day. “For real, Colby’s been quiet and he hasn’t been saying anything because he knows the truth. I think he’s really nervous to step in that cage with me.”
Buckley didn’t stop there, accusing Covington of cherry-picking opponents outside his weight class.
“He wants to fight 145-pound fighters. He wants to fight Paddy Pimblett, Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira — guys that aren’t welterweights,” Buckley said. “In my opinion, this might be his last fight on his contract. I’m just assuming that. If you want to fight and it’s going to be your last one, you want to go off on top. I really feel like with that being said, he had no choice but to take this fight because it’s his last one.”
As fight night approaches, the tension between the two headliners is palpable, setting the stage for an explosive showdown.
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