Former Strikeforce champion Josh Thomson believes that Colby Covington’s public split from American Top Team is resurfacing as a factor in his recent fighting difficulties following UFC Tampa.
Covington’s contentious split from the renowned American Top Team in Florida is being examined as a potential contributor to his performance issues, especially after his doctor’s stoppage loss at UFC Tampa.
In the main event at UFC Tampa on Saturday, Covington suffered a defeat against Joaquin Buckley, marking his second consecutive loss. After enduring significant damage in the first 2.5 rounds, a doctor was called to assess a serious cut above Covington’s right eye, resulting in the decision to end the fight due to concerns about possible damage to his eyelid.
Over his last six fights, Covington has faced disappointing results, winning only two, including a title loss to Leon Edwards at UFC 296 last year. His loss to Buckley put him further behind in the title shot discussion, especially given his recent inactivity.
Inside the Octagon, Covington seemed uncharacteristically outmatched by the formidable Buckley. This fight was held during his latest training camp at MMA Masters in Florida, which he joined after a high-profile exit from American Top Team following several incidents.
During a recent episode of the Weighing In podcast, Josh Thomson provided insights into what he believes might be the root cause of Covington’s ongoing struggles.
Thomson remarked, “Not taking anything away from Joaquin Buckley, but when you train at a prestigious gym like American Top Team, and you’ve found your way out of it, now you’re running your own camp and doing your own thing without a whole lot of people to train with that are at the top level. When you just left the gym that had a plethora of world-class fighters there, you saw it tonight.” He added, “Since he’s left American Top Team, he doesn’t look like the same person. After half of the first round, he was taking deep breaths. I don’t want to say he was winded, but he was having a hard time catching his second wind.”
Thomson continued, “That can be common if he didn’t warm up well enough in the back, but not having the talent that he needs to kind of help him push his pace in training is what I feel like I’m seeing right now. I’m seeing a fighter who is having a hard time setting a pace that he’s not able to do inside the cage against world-class fighters because he doesn’t have world-class fighters to train with anymore… he’s gotta work some things out.”
Covington’s departure from ATT-Florida followed multiple altercations with teammates, particularly with Jorge Masvidal. Following their fight at UFC 272, Masvidal allegedly assaulted Covington outside a steakhouse in Miami shortly after the event.
Additionally, Covington engaged in public disputes with other ATT teammates, including Dustin Poirier and Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Although he called out Poirier for a fight after his victory over Masvidal at UFC 272, those negotiations went nowhere.
After UFC Tampa, Covington’s future in the UFC seems uncertain. He was considered as a possible replacement for Belal Muhammad at UFC 310 against Shavkat Rakhmonov, but the UFC opted for Ian Machado Garry instead, who took Covington’s place at UFC Tampa.
Since defeating Masvidal at UFC 272, Covington has not managed to secure a win, losing to Edwards and twice to Kamaru Usman in title bouts. Following his loss at UFC Tampa, his chances for another title shot are diminishing as new contenders emerge in the division.
Thomson expressed that Covington’s current situation in the UFC could have been different if he had stayed at ATT and mended the relationships he had strained with his former teammates and coaches. As he contemplates his next steps, time is running out for Covington to mount another serious title challenge.
