‘Cut this idiot’… Fans troll Colby Covington over funny details from strike before UFC Tampa loss

On By Littum

Viewers mock Colby Covington over a detail many missed from his UFC Tampa main event.

The former interim welterweight champion stepped up on short notice to face Joaquin Buckley on Saturday night in his adopted home state. But he was never able to get going and ended up being stopped after suffering a gruesome cut above his eye.

He made an epic ring walk at night, flanked by legendary WWE wrestler Hulk Hogan and UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen. But fans noticed a small flaw in his plan, which hurt the presentation of his walkout.

Colby Covington walked out on the Joaquin Buckley match with Hulk Hogan

During the build-up to his short-notice UFC return, Colby Covington had teased bringing a special guest to his ringside. A close friend of the Trump family, some theorized that President-elect Donald Trump would join him on his way to the cage.

Hulk Hogan is seen cornered by Colby Covington ahead of a welterweight bout against Joaquin Buckley during the UFC Fight Night event at Amali...
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Sneaking the President Elect of the United States into a venue would be next to impossible, however, and he ended up taking the trip with WWE icon Hulk Hogan. The pair are both controversial for their various comments on and off the record, and actually seemed a relatively solid pair.

Covington even walked out to Hulk Hogan’s famous ‘Real American’ theme song and was booed by the Tampa crowd. Meanwhile, the wrestling star held up an American flag as he made his way to the octagon.

Fans mock Colby Covington for ejection blunder

Unfortunately for Covington, the bad news started before the game when fans noticed he had taken an important step to do a stunt during his walk. It is customary for athletes to wear a match kit to the octagon before removing their top and being checked by officials.

However, Covington chose to channel Hulk Hogan and tear off his shirt in dramatic fashion. To do it effectively, however, he had to make small cuts in the fabric of his outfit, which became obvious to those who followed.

Fans quickly took to social media to troll Covington for doing something so silly and theoretically incapable of legitimately ripping up his shirt. Misfits Boxing commentator Ben Davis first noticed, writing to his followers: “Colby cut his shirt before ripping it in half. Please cut this moron.”

Strawweight contender Diana Belbita also spotted the funny gag, adding, “Colby had his shirt cut even before he ripped it.” When one fan responded “Well, UFC fight gear would be pretty hard to just rip,” she noted that Ian Machado Garry’s actual fight shorts last week ripped.

Colby Covington stopped Joaquin Buckley at UFC Tampa

The fight didn’t go Covington’s way either, with doctors stepping in to cancel the bout after he suffered a nasty cut early on that continued to get worse. It looked like a punch going into a takedown attempt caught him and opened his eye socket, worrying the medics between rounds.

(L-R) Joaquin Buckley beats Colby Covington in a welterweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at Amalie Arena on December 14, 2024 in Tamp...
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

The cut didn’t affect things too much though, with Buckley dominating pretty much from the opening bell. He seemed to find his hitting streak early, landing big shots at will, as well as avoiding the threat of the takedown and landing a knockdown right at the end of the first.

Covington managed to get him down in the second, but not for long, and the fight quickly returned to the feet. By the third, it was clear which way the fight was going, and the doctors didn’t even consider allowing Covington to continue. It marks his second defeat in a row.

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