5 Most Controversial Moments In UFC
1. Colby Covington Vs. The World: The Big Act
Martial arts contests are predicated on the notion that you are watching reality play out. The world-class level of talent is not a mistake or an act; these competitors have honed their skills over the years of training, thousands of miles run and a ridiculous amount of punishment.
However, some parts of the show we know as prize fighting often demand a level of character work, which is not necessarily true to the actor. Take the Curious Case of Colby Covington, the cardio and wrestling machine who was facing a cut from the UFC when told his fighting style was boring and unattractive. That forced him to make a bigger splash by creating a character fight fans would want to watch.
What materialized was a heavily disrespectful and almost playground level of bullying, manifesting in nerd bashing, trolling Twitter fans with movie spoilers, and a handful of other party tricks designed to sustain attention
The most fascinating thing about this worked character might be that we've only just seen Covington hit real adversity with this method due to his welterweight title fight loss to Kamaru Usman. Before that fight, his presentation caught the attention of the United States president haters as well as fans from across the world, and saved his ultimate fighting career.
It can't be coincidental that during this time Colby made an appearance on professional wrestling shows as a heel. Fitting really, as Covington would rant at fans after wins in the Octagon, chastising them for, well not a lot to be honest. He'd poke and probe fighters in other weight classes and generally attempt to trigger everyone.
Yet at the same time, those who knew "Chaos" would offer comments which might make you think they're talking about someone else entirely. Coaches and pundits speaking on how nice the man is behind closed doors, whilst people who he'd lost favour with over the years would make it known just how fake they thought he’s new persona was.
It’s almost spooky to think that there are hundreds of fighters on the UFC's roaster who in the future might decide to bring their own avatars to life, hoping to climb the ranks thanks to Colby's successful self push. The decade has only just started, people.