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During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, Colby Covington officially confirmed his departure from American Top Team.
Covington was brought in by ATT owner Dan Lambert in 2011 to bolster the wrestling training at the gym and the former NCAA All American went on to become a professional Mixed Martial Artist under the guidance of Lambert.
Covington spoke about parting ways with ATT while also stating that he loves Dan Lambert and is still great friends with him. He was grateful towards Lambert for helping him throughout his career. Colby, however, admitted that all good things had to come to an end.
'Chaos' felt that he had fulfilled all his debts at ATT and it was now time to move on and begin a new chapter in his career.
Here's what Covington told Ariel Helwani about his departure from ATT:
That is correct. I am affiliated to Colby Covington Incorporated as of now. I'm my own team, you know. I love Dan. Dan Lambert is still a great friend to me and mentor. He's a second father to me. Dan Lambert gave me an opportunity. I can't thank him enough. He's good people. You know but it's time to move on. Everybody knows all good things must come to an end. I fulfilled my debts there. I was there for 10 years.
I started my MMA journey there at American Top Team and we went to the top. Dan Lambert has everything. He's got UFC belts, he's got WEC belts, he's got Pride belts, he's got WWE belts. What I feel accomplished as a fighter going there and being able to do something he's never done before, I was able to take him to the White House. So I feel I've fulfilled my debts and we had a great run together but, you know, it's time to move. We're evolving, we're growing and just like the saying goes Ariel - the sun sets, the sun rises, the caterpillar turns into the butterfly.
Colby Covington leaving ATT was inevitable
Colby Covington's braggadocious character has often rubbed his ATT teammates the wrong way and he has constantly been in the news for verbally attacking other fighters in the gym.
Covington's real-life feuds with ATT members Jorge Masvidal and Dustin Poirier have been well-documented in the past. Joanna Jedrzejczyk - another top ATT product - had also called for Covington to be kicked out of the team. The former Interim Welterweight Champion was always expected to leave ATT given the friction he had created in the gym as a result of his trash talk.
Now that he not an ATT fighter anymore, what's next for Chaos?
