Tyron Woodley did not hold back when he spoke about Colby Covington‘s retirement from the UFC. Woodley sounded off on his former training partner and rival for building his persona around controversy.
Covington, 38, reportedly informed the UFC of his decision to retire from competition. The former interim welterweight champion has not competed inside the octagon since UFC Tampa in 2024. There, he lost via TKO by doctor’s stoppage to Joaquin Buckley.
While he has been inactive inside the octagon, Covington has stayed active in Real American Freestyle. He is set to compete for a third time this year, when he faces Chris Weidman at RAF09. There has been plenty of speculation surrounding his MMA career, but it appears as though he is done fighting.
Woodley claimed that Covington was not well-liked when they were teammates and lacked a strong work ethic.
“People hated [Covington] in the gym because he wouldn’t work very hard, but he had a gas tank, and he knew staying close to you was the best for him,” Woodley told NewBettingSites.uk.
While Woodley claimed Covington was not a hard worker, he did acknowledge his durability.
“I would say he’s tough, I would say he’s durable, I would say he’s a person that doesn’t work very hard, but he has crazy cardio.”
Tyron Woodley Reacts to Colby Covington’s UFC Retirement
GettyLAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 18: In this handout image provided by UFC,(L-R) Colby Covington and Tyron Woodley face off during the UFC Fight Night weigh-in at UFC APEX on September 18, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Tyron Woodley shared his reaction to Colby Covington’s UFC retirement by taking aim at his persona. The two fought in 2020, with Covington earn a 5th round TKO after Woodley suffered a rib injury. During his post-fight interview, ‘Chaos’ received a call from President Donald Trump congratulating him on his win.
Although they fought years ago, Woodley and Covington still appear to be at odds. ‘The Chosen One’ blasted ‘Chaos’ as being an opportunist who used Trump to generate headlines.
“His whole brand was modelled around an act that he was such a Trump supporter, America this and that, when really he was just a Drake-listening, Beats headphones-wearing, hanging out in Miami, thinking he’s a gangster guy, who put on an act and a character,” Woodley told NewBettingSites.uk.
He added:
“His whole thing was baiting. Colby was piggybacking that because it was causing controversy,” Woodley said. “He wanted to create his own version of a being a heel, but in MMA.”
Woodley Says Covington Capitalized on the MMA Landscape
Woodley also said Covington capitalized on the MMA landscape at the time he created his persona.
At the time, several of the UFC’s top stars were either inactive or retired, and the promotion needed buzz. Woodley believes Covington recognized that and leaned into his character. As a result, he believes both fighters and fans tolerated his antics.
“[Covington] was an opportunist who took advantage of a quiet moment in MMA,” Woodley told NewBettingSites.uk. “He talked himself into positions that his record and ranking weren’t ever in. The sport was quiet. Ronda [Rousey] was gone, Jon [Jones] was chilling out, Conor [McGregor] was out, and nobody was there, so we were willing to listen to him.”
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