Colby Covington reacted to Donald Trump naming Khabib Nurmagomedov before him when discussing the U.S. President-Elect’s favorite UFC fighters.
Colby Covington is a die-hard Donald Trump supporter and was extremely vocal during Trump’s successful 2024 U.S. Presidential campaign. Despite Covington’s loyalty and dedication to Trump, the incoming president-elect was quick to name Khabib Nurmagomedov as one of his favorite fighters over Covington.
Trump is an avid UFC fan and has attended numerous events this year during his presidential campaign. He was most recently cage side at UFC 309 as Jon Jones defeated Stipe Miocic at Madison Square Garden in his native New York City.
While attending UFC 302 in Newark, Trump met Nurmagomedov after the event and promised the UFC Hall of Famer to end the ongoing Israel-Palestine war. In an interview later on with Adin Ross, Trump called Nurmagomedov’s name first when asked about his favorite UFC fighters, pointing out Nurmagomedov’s undefeated record and accolades.
Covington, who will return to the Octagon at UFC Tampa this weekend, fought in front of the 45th U.S. President at UFC 296 last year. Despite Trump’s fervent admiration of Nurmagomedov, Covington believes there’s a political explanation for Trump’s stance.
Colby Covington believes Donald Trump’s fandom of Khabib Nurmagomedov is politically motivated
During his UFC Tampa pre-fight press conference, Covington reacted to Trump’s fandom of Nurmagomedov.
“He didn’t say that Khabib was his favorite fighter, he was just asked ‘Who are some of your favorite fighters?’. And he saw Khabib the week before, so he gave a shoutout to him. We want good relations with Russia so it made sense to go that route,” Covington claimed.
“We want peace in the Middle East, around the world. We don’t want Russia going after Ukraine, we need more peace. He has a lot of favorite fighters that he likes, I know I’m one of his favorite fighters. He invited me to Mar-A-Lago, I was sitting next to him on election night, and introduced me to Elon Musk for Thanksgiving!”
In addition to the Israel-Palestine conflict, Trump has promised to end the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine shortly after he’s inaugurated. He’s boasted a positive relationship with longtime Russian President Vladimir Putin, a fellow Nurmagomedov supporter.
Covington was invited to Trump’s Mar-A-Lago estate to watch the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election results in real-time. Trump will head back to The White House next month after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris in an electoral college landslide.
Donald Trump may attend Colby Covington vs. Joaquin Buckley
Covington and Nurmagomedov are just a few of Trump’s favorite fighters on the roster. During a campaign speech, he gave a shoutout to former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland, another avid supporter of his political career.
Trump could potentially be in attendance this weekend for Covington’s return to the Octagon. Covington faces the surging contender Joaquin Buckley in the UFC Tampa main event as he looks to bounce back from his UFC 296 defeat to Leon Edwards.
Contrary to what many might’ve believed, Covington doesn’t seem bothered by Trump’s comments about his favorite fighter. A win over Buckley this weekend would likely earn a shoutout from the incoming 47th U.S. President.