Colby Covington didn’t take long to notice Jon Jones’ social media attacks following his loss to Joaquin Buckley in the UFC Tampa main event.
Covington’s latest attempt to move closer to potential UFC gold fell short as Joaquin Buckley delivered a dominant performance, winning by TKO after the cage-side doctor ruled that Covington could no longer continue due to a severe head gash.
In the buildup to UFC Tampa, Covington reignited his longstanding feud with UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who was once his roommate during their college days at Iowa Central Community College.
Despite their previously cordial relationship, the atmosphere between Covington and Jones has drastically changed. After Covington’s loss to Buckley, Jones took to social media to mock Covington’s performance, boasting about his own recent win in front of Donald Trump.
Covington wasted no time in responding to Jones’ tweet during a recent stream on his Twitch channel.
Colby Covington roasted ‘Cheater’ Jon Jones over the post-fight tweet, claiming, “Of course Jones is talking about me; he wishes he looked like me, a guy that was this beautiful and had this much respect. He has no respect.” He further criticized Jones, stating that he lost all respect after his drug use and legal troubles.
Covington continued his tirade, stating, “Cheated his whole career, on his wife, on his taxes, so he’s a terrible person. So f*** Jon Jones, he’s nothing!”
Jones recently defeated Stipe Miocic in his first heavyweight title defense at UFC 309, an event attended by Covington’s preferred U.S. President, Donald Trump, who shared in the post-fight celebrations.
With the defeat to Buckley, Covington has now dropped four of his last six fights, including two title losses to Kamaru Usman. His last victory was over former American Top Team ally Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272.
Meanwhile, Jones is focusing on his potential return to the Octagon in 2025, entering negotiations with UFC management for a new contract that would offer him a lucrative payout for a fight against interim champ Tom Aspinall.
Covington’s options for potential opponents are dwindling as he looks to return to the Octagon in 2025. He was previously linked to a fight with Ian Machado Garry at UFC 303, but talks for that matchup fell apart.
As for the rivalry between Covington and Jones, their animosity shows no signs of cooling down, likely leading to more tension as both fighters prepare for their respective return fights.
