Six years of resentment and anger built up to a fever pitch before Colby Covington could finally get his hands on his former teammate in the octagon.
The controversial fighter was thrust into the main event of UFC Vegas 11 when he took on his former training camp teammate, Tyron Woodley, in 2020.
A young Colby Covington had been drafted to help Woodley prepare for his fight with Rory MacDonald at UFC 174 in 2014, with both fighters part of American Top Team.
However, Covington admitted to ESPN that he “always hated” Woodley and that he tried to take advantage of him in sparring, which began a six-year obsession with taking down the former UFC Welterweight champion.
Covington finally got his chance in 2020, when his rivalry with Woodley came to a head in the octagon.
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Colby Covington enacted revenge after six years with a KO victory over Tyron Woodley
After years of resentment from their time in training camp together, Covington finally got his hands on Woodley inside the octagon.
In the years since that spat, things had become even more tense as Covington leaned into his controversial persona, which was in opposition to the socially conscious Woodley.
It was promoted as a genuine grudge match and had UFC fans on tenterhooks to see which side would come out on top at the UFC APEX during the height of the COVID pandemic.
The clash took place on September 19, 2020 and, much to the chagrin of many fans, was a fantastic performance by Covington. While they may not agree with his views on subjects like Donald Trump, nobody could deny him that night.
“Chaos” dominated throughout the fight, pressuring Woodley constantly and leaving Woodley struggling either up against the fence or on the mat with his fantastic wrestling skills.
While a unanimous decision victory seemed likely, it was Woodley who cost himself a KO loss when going for broke in the final round.
He managed to lock in a guillotine choke in the fifth round, but the strain caused huge damage as it caused Woodley’s rib to pop out, and he cried out in pain as the referee ended the fight.
Covington celebrated like he’d won a world title, calling out Kamaru Usman for a title fight as Woodley lay on the canvas in immense pain.
You would think that was the end of their rivalry, but Covington would not let it stop there.
Colby Covington continued his beef with Woodley in the years since their fight
Despite getting the definitive victory over Woodley, “Chaos” did not put his rivalry with Woodley to rest.
The former UFC Welterweight champion continued to badmouth Woodley, especially during his build-up to his fight against Jake Paul in the boxing ring.
He mocked his former training partner, claiming Woodley would “take a dive” against Paul because he “needs the money”, and later accused the fight of being fixed.
Despite the constant trash-talking, a rematch between Covington and Woodley never materialized, giving Covington a 1-0 career record after six years of waiting.