Colby Covington calls out Joe Biden, takes call from Donald Trump after beating Tyron Woodley
Colby Covington delivered quite the message following his win at UFC Fight Night on Saturday night.
Covington, after taking care of Tyron Woodley in their grudge match via a fifth-round TKO, took shots at former Vice President Joe Biden and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James in his post-fight interview.
He also received a congratulatory call from President Donald Trump, which he took on speaker phone during a media session live on ESPN.
Covington comes at Joe Biden, LeBron James
Covington kicked off his interview with an unprompted rant that sounded like a campaign stop for Trump.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the silent majority is ready to make some noise,” Covington said while wearing an American flag draped around his shoulders. “If you thought that was a beating, wait until Nov. 3 when Donald Trump gets his hands on sleepy Joe. That’s going to be a landslide.”
Colby Covington post fight interview. pic.twitter.com/foEUWHWPrY
— Jed I. Goodman (@jedigoodman) September 20, 2020
Covington is very open about his support for Trump. He’s met the president in the White House, frequently wears a MAGA hat and even had Trump’s sons, Eric and Don Jr., show up for a fight last year.
He then took a shot at James and other “woke athletes” after thanking first responders around the United States. Though he didn’t specify why exactly he was mad at James and others, the reasoning is clear.
James and countless other professional athletes across the sports world have been leading a push for social and racial justice in recent months, often kneeling during the national anthem in protest or making other demonstrations.
NBA players even staged a walkout — something that was soon followed by teams in other leagues across the country — in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting in Wisconsin.
“[First responders] keep this world safe, not these woke athletes, man,” he said. “I’m sick of these woke athletes, these spineless cowards like LeBron James.”
Donald Trump calls Covington
Covington, after sitting down later for an ESPN interview while wearing his signed “Keep America Great” hat, actually took a call from Trump on speaker phone.
Trump congratulated Covington for his win, though it wasn’t clear if Trump actually watched the bout — he was speaking at a campaign stop in North Carolina on Saturday night.
Covington credited Trump several times for his win, too, saying that after meeting him at a recent rally that there was no way he could lose.
VIDEO: President Trump calls Colby Covington after his win against Tyrone Woodley #MAGA #UFCVegas11 pic.twitter.com/nKGi9DBE9n
— MK (@MK_9320) September 20, 2020
“I’m proud of you man. I’m a big fan and I’m proud of you,” Trump told Covington. “You’re tough, you have the right spirits. So now go win the next one, and keep it for a long time. Just keep that championship for a long time. You are something ... I appreciated the shout out tonight, too. I’m your fan, you’re my fan. Two of a kind, two of a kind.”
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