Colby Covington doesn’t agree with the cageside doctor’s ruling at last weekend’s UFC event in Tampa, Florida.
Former three-time title challenger Covington sustained a cut to his right eyelid early in his main event scrap with surging contender Joaquin Buckley which gradually got worse as the bout progressed, before referee Dan Miragliotta called off the contest on the advice of the ringside doctor towards the end of the third round after he was informed that Covington was at risk of losing his eyebrow.
But speaking soon afterwards, Covington maintained that the fight had been stopped prematurely and agreed with UFC boss Dana White’s statement in the post-fight press conference that the officials acted a little hastily.
“That’s what I’m going to say, too,” Covington said in a video posted to YouTube, as noted by MMA Fighting. “Bullsh*t. It was building, a five-round fight.
“We came in close contact, and I felt like there was a headbutt, and as soon as it cut in the first round, I couldn’t see,” the 36-year-old added.
“I had blurred vision, I was seeing three different people, I was like, f*ck, which one do I punch? I didn’t know what to do, I was kind of confused, but I knew I had to keep fighting. I had to give the UFC and the fans a show. That’s what they pay their hard-earned money to come for and I’m a warrior, we’re gladiators. I’m not going to stop.
“I’ve had way worse in fights than a little cut over my eye, so it’s unfortunate that the doctor stopped the fight like that because if we’re in Vegas, I know the fight gets to keep going. I feel like I was really just starting to gain momentum, like I was starting to wear him out, I could see him breathing out of his mouth.
“There wasn’t as much volume at that point, so I feel like it was going to be my fight in the championship rounds, so it was an unfortunate stop and I feel like the doctor is the one that beat me tonight. I didn’t feel like I lost to another opponent.”
Nonetheless, the result will go down as a loss on Covington’s official record — which now shows four defeats in his last six fights.
