Colby Covington doesn’t plan to simply fade into the background when his preventing profession is over.
Recent off of a disappointing resolution loss to Leon Edwards at UFC 296, the 35-year-old welterweight contender has been making the media rounds to elucidate his poor efficiency and talk about what’s subsequent for him after his third failed try at turning into champion.
Covington advised the PBD Podcast that he’d prefer to comply with within the footsteps of his idol, former president Donald Trump, and pursue a profession in politics.
“I do consider I’m the Donald Trump of the UFC,” Covington mentioned. “He’s my greatest function mannequin, he’s my mentor, and he’s somebody that I actually look as much as, so I try to mannequin my profession after loads of issues that he’s accomplished.
“I undoubtedly wish to run for Congress in a number of years, I feel I’d be the right fighter. I’m not a man that’s going to promote out to the institution. I’m a self-made man from nothing. I got here from a blue-collar household in Oregon who had completely nothing, who lived within the trailer parks, now I’m a multi-million greenback athlete, so I feel that I can do nice issues for this Republican and Conservative motion as a result of they don’t have the funds and means to do it. I recognize every thing Donald Trump’s accomplished for me, I’m a real believer, I’ll die preventing for that man.”
A lot of Covington’s rise from middle-of-the-pack fighter to pay-per-view headliner concerned him proudly declaring his fealty to Trump and the Republican get together, whereas additionally infusing his promos and interviews with insults aimed toward his rivals. He drew criticism after taking pictures at Edwards’ deceased father forward of their Dec. 16 predominant occasion conflict, which ended with Covington dropping a unanimous resolution.
The uninspiring efficiency has led to questions of whether or not Covington ought to think about retirement, a chance that he has dominated out. Nonetheless, he appears ahead to the day that he’s accomplished preventing within the cage and may probably work in direction of turning into the governor of Florida, the place he presently resides.
“I haven’t thought of it as a result of I’m nonetheless a one hundred pc within the UFC,” Covington mentioned. “I really feel like if you begin placing that one foot out and begin fascinated with what’s subsequent, then it is best to in all probability retire. You’re not nonetheless fully invested within the preventing. I nonetheless know I’m the most effective fighters on the earth. I simply went 5 rounds with the supposed champion, who was supposed to simply fully decimate me and it was a really aggressive battle, might have went both manner.
“I do know that I’m greater than only a fighter although. I’m not only a fighter that reveals up and fights within the octagon. That’s not all I can do, I’m smarter than that. I can use my thoughts, I’ve mind to have the ability to navigate the waters and get me the place I wish to go in life. I haven’t thought of it. I do wish to get into politics at some point as a result of I wish to battle for what I consider in. I wish to get into Congress, perhaps Senate, perhaps one thing like that. Perhaps be the Governor of Florida, that will be my final dream to be the governor of this state.”
Wherever Covington goes, he expects a section of the fan base to comply with him as he considers himself to be certainly one of MMA’s extra entertaining personalities. He’s not apologizing for any of the non-public assaults he directed at Edwards, particularly since he feels that he’s answerable for bringing consideration to their battle.
“I don’t assume I used to be beat final weekend,” Covington mentioned. “I feel I gained much more and the followers see the reality of the fighter and the marketer that I’m, the leisure facet that I deliver to the game. I make it enjoyable for the followers. They pay their hard-earned cash to look at us. So far as Leon, nobody was watching or tuning in to the battle to see Leon. It was both the folks that completely love me or he was simply borrowing my haters for the evening. It wasn’t like he truly introduced in any further followers.”