Colby Covington shared his reaction after Islam Makhachev stood behind Usman Nurmagomedov following his incident with Merab Dvalishvili. While Covington understood why Makhachev did not condemn his teammate, ‘Chaos’ made it clear that Nurmagomedov was at fault.
Nurmagomedov was involved in an incident with Dvalishvili at a hotel in Abu Dhabi. The Dagestani, along with some of his teammates, attacked Dvalishvili and his friend while ‘The Machine’ was filming content for RAF. The attack sparked a fight and resulted in several charges being handed out.
Covington blasted Nurmagomedov for being unprofessional and also directed some criticism toward Makhachev.
Colby Covington Reacts to Islam Makhachev Standing Behind Usman Nurmagomedov
Colby Covington felt strongly about Islam Makhachev choosing to stand behind Usman Nurmagomedov despite the video evidence.
“On one side of it, I believe you should stick up for your family. That’s your brother, that’s your training partner that you’ve grown up with your whole life. So, I understand you looking out for him. But on the other side of the coin, you need to be able to hold your family accountable for their actions. I’m not saying to condemn them, but you shouldn’t have come out and given a speech or any comment at all, because [Nurmagomedov was] definitely in the wrong,” Covington told BC.Game.
“I just don’t believe that Islam should have been defending Usman in this situation. I think that he should be condemning him, holding his friend to a higher standard and giving him the help he needs. Because obviously he’s shown from his past situations that he can’t keep his cool. He can’t cool his emotions, and he’s a little thug,” Covington said.
Covington sympathized with Merab Dvalishvili, particularly due to how widely respected the former UFC bantamweight champion is.
“I know what type of person Merab is. He’s a nice guy, he’s a humble person. And I want to see him back in America. I want to see him back competing, doing what he loves best.”
Covington Blasts Nurmagomedov for Attacking Dvalishvili
Although Covington admitted that he understood where Makhachev was coming from, he doubled down on his criticism of Nurmagomedov.
Covington blasted the former Bellator lightweight champion and called on the UFC to avoid signing him.
“This behavior from Usman Nurmagomedov should disqualify him from ever being a UFC athlete. Why does he deserve to be in the UFC? He almost cheap-shotted Song Yadong when Song’s just celebrating a big win. He jumps in the cage, tries to elbow him, and then now he does this,” Covington told BC.Game.
“Usman has show he’s not professional. He can’t control his emotions. Us as UFC fighters are held to a higher standard. He needs to take responsibility for his actions, and he shouldn’t be allowed in the UFC. That’s what I think. I don’t care what his record is fighting bums. He doesn’t belong in the UFC. I hope he’s never able to fight in the UFC,” Covington said.
Covington added: “I hope he’s never able to come to America because that’s delinquent behavior. It’s despicable.”
Colby Covington Reacts to Islam Makhachev Standing Behind Usman Nurmagomedov