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What’s the story?
As reported by MMA Mania, in an interview with Jason Kindschy of BJ Penn Radio, Colby Covington opened up on Ronda Rousey signing with the WWE.
Covington asserted that he hopes Rousey isn’t shy while performing in the WWE and instead allows her UFC persona to shine through. Besides, ‘Chaos’ also emphasized that he hopes Rousey doesn’t portray MMA fighters in a bad light in the WWE and spoil the prospect of other MMA fighters who plan on making the transition to the WWE.
In case you didn’t know…
Colby Covington is one of the top MMA welterweights in the world today and is touted by experts to be next in line to challenge for the UFC 170-pound title currently held by Tyrone Woodley.
Covington is well-known for portraying his heel persona in the MMA world—something that he is said to have largely derived from the world of professional wrestling. ‘Chaos’ is a longtime pro-wrestling fan, and has also appeared in several segments as a heel alongside Bobby Lashley, Dan Lambert, and a few other ATT (American Top Team) members in Impact Wrestling.
The heart of the matter
Colby Covington opined that transitioning from the UFC to the WWE was a great move on part of Ronda Rousey; adding that she can’t win anymore in MMA, so it only makes sense for her to try and win in the world of pro-wrestling. He added—
"I think she's done well for herself and she's gonna make some good money over there. The thing is, I hope she don't f*** it up for the MMA fighters, because I'm the people following in those footsteps. I'ma be over there in WWE, taking the world title soon, (and) I hope she doesn't act all shy and do all that weird stuff, you know? She needs to be who she is and who she used to be in the UFC when she was the champ."
Additionally, Covington explained that Rousey could perhaps use a great heel manager to ensure that she isn’t unsuccessful in the WWE. Covington added that ATT owner Dan Lambert is a great MMA and pro-wrestling heel manager, and in fact went toe to toe with renowned pro-wrestling heel manager Jim Cornette in Impact Wrestling.
Furthermore, Covington continued that Lambert could go as far as dominating & outshining Paul Heyman on the mic in the WWE.
What’s next?
Ronda Rousey is expected to report to the WWE Performance Center very soon, and likely to compete in a Mixed Tag Team Match against Stephanie McMahon and Triple H at WrestleMania 34.
The Rock has been touted as a potential partner for Rousey at ‘Mania. On the other hand, Colby Covington is likely to receive the next shot at the UFC Welterweight Championship later this year.
Author’s take
Colby Covington is spot-on with his assessment that Ronda Rousey ought to let her true badass persona shine through in the WWE. However, it’d be folly to say that Rousey could mess up the impression MMA fighters have on the pro-wrestling community. In fact, Rousey has done a great job of representing MMA fighters in the pro-wrestling world thus far.
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