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Colby Covington has become a somewhat of a controversial figure in the UFC after all his trash talk. While trash talkers in the UFC, MMA or even combat sports are nothing new, the nature of Covington's gimmick has led many to believe it to be nothing but a schtick and a forced personality by the former Interim Champion.
There is, however, no doubting his credibility in the Octagon. Following a dominant unanimous decision victory over Robbie Lawler, he's finally getting a well-deserved title shot at UFC 245 - the final PPV of 2019.
Dan Lambert, the owner of Covington's training camp in American Top Team spoke to BJPenn.com about the former Interim Champion and his controversial personality in front of the cameras:
"I think Colby’s schtick and personality is a lot more effective when he is winning fights.”
As for Covington's work ethic and skills, Lambert had nothing but praise for it:
"Colby’s camps are the same as they always are. Colby comes in and he works. He is not one to mess around. If the fight doesn’t go his way, it isn’t because he didn’t put the work in.There is no coincidence why his cardio is so good, his striking improved so much from one fight to the next. The guy puts in the work."
Covington has caused quite a stir within his team, angering the likes of Joanna Jedrzejczyk, who openly stated her desire to see Kamaru Usman win. Lambert, however, believes that Covington is better equipped to deal with the champion Usman:
“Everybody has a theory until the fight starts. It will come down to who is the better fighter, and Colby is a better fighter than Usman. Usman is really, really good, but he is only that good when he can dictate the pace and take the breaks when he needs to take breaks. And he won’t be able to do that against Colby."
Usman has been described as a "cardio machine" but Lambert says that the cardio is another aspect where Covington will thrive. Either way, we're in for an elite-level technical fight between two athletes who love to press and dictate the pace of the fight. While we may not necessarily get a finish, we will see the grudge fight come to blows.
Tune into UFC 245 to see Usman vs Covington and two other Championship fights in what many consider to be the most stacked card of the year!
