Colby Covington has undoubtedly been one of the unluckiest fighters of 2024. After taking a year off following his loss at UFC 296 in 2023, the former interim 170lbs champ made his long-awaited return at UFC Tampa earlier this month. However, his comeback was thwarted by Joaquin Buckley in a one-sided fight. ‘New Mansa’ broke Covington’s face, leaving him bloodied with a deep gash above his right eye. The ringside doctor intervened in the third round at 4:42, halting the fight and ending Covington’s hopes of securing a title shot in 2025.

Following the loss, fight analysts and pundits weighed in with their opinions on what went wrong for the Clovis native. However, Colby Covington kept quiet until recently when, nearly two weeks after the fight, he broke his silence on his YouTube channel. He explained his perspective on the loss, saying, “Everybody knows I’m a fourth and fifth-round fighter. I was just getting started in those championship rounds. I know I could have finished him. He was breathing heavily, didn’t have much left, and wasn’t going to keep up his volume in the later rounds. I felt I was going to take control of that fight. It was close and competitive. He didn’t outclass me, didn’t drop me, and didn’t really hurt me.”

Despite Covington’s claims of being a finisher in the later rounds, his track record doesn’t support this. The last time ‘Chaos’ scored a finish was in 2020 against Tyron Woodley, who had a rib injury. Additionally, ‘Chaos’ mentioned not having a proper “training camp,” a point raised earlier by his mentor, Chael Sonnen, in a post-fight backstage video. Sonnen, who has been criticized by many for potentially “gaslighting” the former interim champion after his second consecutive loss, suggested that the lack of a proper training camp contributed to his performance.

With this latest loss, Covington’s record in his last six fights now stands at four defeats. This isn’t the first time ‘Chaos’ has attributed his losses to external factors. Before UFC Tampa, he also gave an excuse for his defeat to Leon Edwards a year ago at UFC 296. Let’s examine that reason.

Colby Covington spills the reason for his loss to Leon Edwards at UFC 296

One year ago, Colby Covington was riding the momentum of his victory over former friend-turned-rival Jorge Masvidal, a win that secured him a title shot against then-champion Leon Edwards at UFC 296. The bout was one of the most anticipated and fiery matchups in UFC history, with ‘Chaos’ leaning heavily into his “heel” persona.

Determined to get inside Edwards’ head, Covington used every psychological tool at his disposal, and to some extent, he succeeded. However, when it came to the actual fight, Covington seemed like a pale shell of his former self and ultimately fell short. Following the loss, Covington largely disappeared from the public eye. It wasn’t until earlier this month that he resurfaced, offering insight into what went wrong against Edwards during an interview with Aaron Bronsteter.

‘Chaos’ blamed “altitude sickness” for his lackluster performance, explaining, “I went there [Breckenridge] originally with the idea that all boxers are doing it. Everybody talks about it changing their cardio game. Go from sea level, where I live in Miami, to 9,000 ft above sea level in Breckenridge, Colorado, and train there for a week. It’s going to take your lungs to a new level.”

What are your thoughts on Colby Covington’s loss to Buckley? Do you think he’s shifting the blame as he did after his fight with Edwards? Share your opinions below!