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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 21: (R-L) Mike Perry punches Tim Means in their welterweight bout during the UFC 255 event at UFC APEX on November 21, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 21: (R-L) Mike Perry punches Tim Means in their welterweight bout during the UFC 255 event at UFC APEX on November 21, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Colby Covington is not known as the nicest guy in the UFC. If divisional rival Stephen Thompson is the nicest fighter on the roster, Covington has been developing the opposite reputation. However, he has shown with his work at press conferences and inside the cage that he doesn’t care who he offends, as long as he is the best in the cage.
Covington left his previous gym American Top Team to work with his own team at MMA Masters in Florida. A fighter that trained in Covington’s camp was Mike Perry while preparing for his fight against Daniel Rodriguez today. Perry has revealed the details of his interactions with Colby, revealing a sweet gesture that many would not consider Covington to do.
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“We had a couple of conversations. Short, not much. He is a real nice guy. He held the door open for me once. We were like arguing, no you go. He then said gentleman first, so I went. I appreciated it and the coaches weren’t able to be here with me this week, but I am excited to go out and show what we’ve been working on.”
Colby Covington: A side we haven’t seen before?
Colby Covington is not known for nice gestures like this. But ultimately, what fighters portray and who they are can often be different. A stark example of that is Conor McGregor. We have seen how different he was leading up to his last two fights against Donald Cerrone and Dustin Poirier, compared to his prior bouts against Khabib Nurmagomedov and Eddie Alvarez.
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NEWARK, NJ – AUGUST 03: Colby Covington battles Robbie Lawler in their welterweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at the Prudential Center on August 3, 2019 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Covington by many accounts is a very professional fighter outside the cage. If Perry is training over at his camp, there is no reason Covington wouldn’t try to make him feel welcome. These may be the habits in fighters that aren’t always revealed to us. But these sides are just as prominent as their in-cage selves.
Hopefully, working with Covington’s team helps Perry find the wind to get a win over Rodriguez. Meanwhile, Covington is waiting to see how the Welterweight title picture looks after UFC 261.
