Colby Covington has gained infamy for crossing some serious lines when he portrays his villainous persona. But he just hasn’t been able to find success inside the Octagon as of late. After yet another long layoff, the former interim champion suffered a horrendous cut at UFC Tampa against Joaquin Buckley, prompting the ringside doctor to stop the fight. Apparently, Covington’s family was present at the event, and he shared footage of them embracing each other, which drew some mixed responses from the UFC fandom.

Covington hugged his sister, his team members, and also his mother, who appeared particularly worried about her son’s gruesome eyelid gash. However, ‘Chaos’ would assure her that his injury isn’t that big of a concern. “It’s all good,” Covington told his mother. His father was also there to support his son at times when he needed the most.

It’s rare to see the Clovis native break character because, most of the time, he always spills some trash talk toward his rivals. However, many UFC figures have mentioned that behind the camera, ‘Chaos’ is not what his nickname suggests and is quite the gentleman. “Colby’s a solid dude, man. Honestly, he was so respectful,” UFC legend Michael Bisping said in 2023.

While some fans shared a few heartwarming reactions, others hesitated to show any compassion to the former interim welterweight champion. Here’s what the UFC community had to say about Covington’s meeting up with his family backstage at UFC Tampa.

Some “love” Colby Covington and others don’t

Despite the shenanigans leading up to a fight or during his public appearances, fans called to show some respect to Colby Covington. After all, his persona is a medium to sell his fights and boost fan interest. Following those lines, a fan said, “Colby deserves respect,” with another expressing his support for the welterweight star by confessing, “I love Colby.” However, the sight of Covington embracing his family backstage led one fan to give the Clovis native a reality check.

Covington’s dig on his opponents can get really serious and personal, and fans have expressed their dislike towards such comments from the former interim welterweight champion in the past. Remember what he said to Leon Edwards about his father? That really stung ‘Rocky’, who’d break down into tears after beating Covington at UFC 296.

With a message that people get what they give to others, a fan added, “He should respect others’ family too,” while another fan pointed out how ‘Chaos’ had to suffer a loss when he had his whole family’s backing in the arena. “Bro got pieced up in front of his family.”

Then again, one fan added, “You guys will hate a nice guy for playing a WWE persona (after they threatened to fire him) and praise then Jon Jones,” indicating that Colby Covington shouldn’t be getting so much hatred. But what most fans were talking about was his fighting career. Some fans claim that he is in the twilight of his UFC run with comments like, “He’s done,” while others believe his talent is best suited for the sports entertainment industry. “Should go to WWE where he belongs.”

Colby Covington claims that he’ll be back, but how many more chances will Dana White give him before he slips out of the main event scene? Drop your comments below.