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Colby Covington believes MMA fans are finally recognizing the efforts he has invested into making the sport more entertaining.
Embracing the reception he got from the crowd at the UFC 268 pre-fight press conference, Covington said he is now experiencing a "babyface turn," a pro-wrestling term used when stars switch their villain-like personalities to a classic 'good guy' character.
Covington adopted his infamous 'heel' persona after defeating Demian Maia in 2017. During the post-fight interview, the 33-year-old unleashed a foul-mouthed rant against the Brazilian crowd, which sent shockwaves across the MMA world.
Covington claims he would have been cut from the UFC if he hadn't pulled the stunt because the promotion didn't like his "character" and "fighting style." In the latest episode of the UFC 268 Embedded: Vlog Series, 'Chaos' said he believes the fans are now finally starting to like him.
"I feel like the people are starting to understand my body of work. The entertainment and show that I put on for them. Him pushing me at the press conference shows that I'm in his head. He's emotional. It's nice to finally be the good guy. I've been the bad guy my whole career. It's nice to finally get a babyface turn."
Catch Covington's comments in the video below (0:30):
Colby Covington denies claim that he's emotionally charged for Kamaru Usman rematch
At the UFC 268 press conference, Kamaru Usman said he had managed to get inside Colby Covington's head ahead of their rematch. 'Chaos', however, believes otherwise.
Responding to the welterweight champ, Covington said his arch-rival is at the back of his mind and that he's too focused on improving as a fighter to think about Usman.
"He's claiming that he's in my head. The last thing I think about is him. I could give a f**k less about him. I just think about my evolution and getting better everyday. I don't really think about the fight or him. I Just think about the best me that I could be."
Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman will step inside the octagon for the second time later tonight. Their first encounter saw 'The Nigerian Nightmare' record a fifth-round TKO victory.
