UFC ranked #6 welterweight contender Colby Covington deserves to be called a veteran in the sport, but his trash-talking energy and controversial persona seem more akin to a fighter in his 20s. And thus his antics have led to notoriety, albeit he is far from playing the ‘hero’ and has evidently embraced the role of the ‘heel’ in the sport.

While many people know his story of transformation into a villain, a few actually understand the inspiration behind how Colby Covington landed in the UFC. If you are one of those guys, then this article is for you.

Colby Covington’s inspiration for joining UFC

Colby Covington was once a well-behaved wrestler before 2016, but his lackluster performance led the UFC to threaten to drop him from their roaster due to his unexciting fighting style. This complaint has resurfaced recently, especially after Belal Muhammad and Merab Dvalishvili became champions in their respective divisions. To save his career, Covington decided to adopt a strategy similar to Conor McGregor’s, embracing trash-talking.

Thus in a recent interview with a renowned media outlet, the host asked Covington, “Are most of the guys who were in the octagon from pretty rough backgrounds?” Covington nodded without hesitation at the host’s question, claiming, “yeah, a lot of misfits, you know? A lot of people who didn’t do well in school or just have rough backgrounds.”

The host then pointed the question towards Covington, asking if he got into fights as a kid. Covington reflected on his childhood and shared that he once fought in the park. Later, When he came home, his mom saw his condition and advised him, “If you want to fight, go to the UFC and make more money to fight,’ and that’s when the bell rang in my head.”

We can’t ascertain whether this welterweight contender was bullied in his childhood or not, but one thing is certain: Covington has now gone too far with his trash talk, and the list of his rivals is extensive, to say the least. Notably, Covington also turned his once-friend Jorge Masvidal into an enemy, a topic Masvidal recently addressed in a recent interview.

Jorge Masvidal on Colby Covington

Earlier this month, former UFC welterweight contender Jorge Masvidal sparked rumors of a return to the promotion. The fighter last was seen in action as he tried his hand at boxing against Nate Diaz in late summer. However, this was far from a success for him, and he still regrets it citing a biased decision by the judges, claiming he was “robbed.”

But Masvidal’s regrets don’t stop there, as he also regrets introducing Colby Covington to his coach at the American Top Team when Covington was financially struggling. Masvidal even allowed him to stay in his home during that time, but as soon as Covington started making good money, he left town without paying the coach.

In a candid interview on Jake Paul’s podcast, Masvidal disclosed, “On top of that, [Colby] ripped off my coach of the five percent that he owed him per fight when he finally made a check. Instead of paying out my coach, what did he do? Skipped out of town. F** you twice motherf**. That’s my coach.”

What are your thoughts after reading Colby Covington’s villain origin story about joining the UFC? Drop your thoughts below.