Joaquin Buckley might solely chortle when he heard that Colby Covington dismissed him as if he was a no one that by no means crossed paths with him earlier than.
It seems, Buckley says he truly put in a while coaching on the identical fitness center as Covington in Florida and even provided to assist him prepare for a title combat within the UFC. Sadly, they by no means acquired an opportunity to get in any work collectively, which is what informed Buckley every part he wanted to find out about Covington.
“Why you mendacity, Colby? Why you mendacity?” Buckley mentioned throughout UFC Tampa media day. “That’s the funniest factor. We’ve executed already met one another earlier than. This shall be our third time assembly one another if we get to face off.
“After I educated out in Miami with MMA Masters, this was proper earlier than he had the combat with Kamaru Usman. Earlier than I met him, I knew that he educated down there, I didn’t know what to anticipate. I had solely identified him from all of the stuff that he does on digital camera. However once I noticed him, only a chill dude. He was like ‘what’s up man’ [and] I’m like ‘the way you doing, bro?’ Only a primary man. Ultimately, I used to be like I may help you out with this Kamaru Usman combat, I feel we must always get some rounds in, get some coaching in. [He said] ‘oh man I might love that, that may be cool.’ Humorous factor about it, it simply by no means occurred. As a result of he simply didn’t need to work.”
Buckley believes that Covington didn’t need to practice with him as a result of he noticed the long run welterweight contender as a risk who might doubtlessly greatest him simply weeks away from the most important combat of his profession.
For his half, Buckley prefers working with coaching companions who continually drive him to get higher, which could require him to lose some rounds, however he doesn’t see that very same mentality in someone like Covington.
“The factor about Colby Covington, he type of runs his personal profession, and he likes to work comfy,” Buckley defined. “The factor about me is despite the fact that I type of do the identical factor, I don’t like working comfy. I like working with new guys. I like working with guys which are hungry, and I like placing myself in place the place it’s going to make me higher.
“That’s the place I really feel like he misplaced these huge fights as a result of he was at all times coaching comfy and he didn’t need to practice with guys which are going to push him.”
So far as this combat coming collectively on shorter discover with Covington changing Ian Machado Garry, who acquired pulled to compete at UFC 310, Buckley was considerably stunned however he additionally seems like he is aware of why this matchup is occurring.
“It’s humorous how he was scared to only practice with me and now he’s stepping within the cage with me,” Buckley mentioned. “For actual, Colby’s been quiet and he hasn’t been saying something as a result of he is aware of the reality. I feel he’s actually nervous to step in that cage with me.
“He needs to combat 145 [pound fighters], he needs to combat Paddy Pimblett, Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira, guys that’s not welterweight fighters. I really feel like, in my view, this could be his final combat on his contract. I’m simply assuming that. If you wish to combat and it’s going to be your final one, you need to go off on prime. I actually really feel like with that being mentioned, he had no selection however to take this combat as a result of it’s his final one.”
Covington later revealed that he truly signed a brand new multi-fight cope with the UFC previous to his title bout towards Leon Edwards final December.
Regardless, Covington enters the UFC Tampa most important occasion with a 3-3 document over his previous six fights with a win over Rafael dos Anjos from 2018 serving as his most up-to-date victory over a fighter on the present, lively UFC roster.
For Buckley, that each one simply provides as much as Covington didn’t step into save the principle occasion as a lot because the UFC actually didn’t give him every other possibility however to simply accept this combat.
“I actually really feel like he had no selection,” Buckley mentioned. “It’s both combat or go away, retire.”
