MMA Star Colby Covington Says First Family Has Accepted Invite to UFC Event: 'I'm Making History in This Sport'
It’s not exactly a unique thing to find a professional athlete who is demonstrably opposed to all things President Donald Trump.
LeBron James. Megan Rapinoe. Steph Curry. Michael Bennett. The list of anti-Trump athletes is deep and covers a large portion of North American professional sports.
But the list of pro athletes who are unabashedly pro-Trump? That is much smaller.
One pro athlete who is proudly carrying the pro-Trump torch for all to see is mixed martial arts star Colby “Chaos” Covington.
The former interim UFC welterweight champion has been proud and loud when it comes to his support for the president.
In fact, after winning the interim title, Covington promptly promised and actually did visit the White House for a special photo op.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl–rtAhKjh/
Covington also had a chance to meet two of the president’s sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, at Trump Tower in May.
It was truly a humbling experience to stop by @trumptower and spend some time with @donaldjtrumpjr and @erictrump! Can’t thank you enough for all you and your family do for this country! #MAGA #Trump2020 #fleetweeknyc #greatamericanwinningmachine #AmericasChamp #PeoplesChamp pic.twitter.com/ETNhV4BNYl
— Colby Covington (@ColbyCovMMA) May 23, 2019
Now he has turned that goodwill with the Trumps into a historic invitation for the first family to sit ringside at “UFC on ESPN 5.”
“I can confirm this,” Covington told USA Today on Wednesday. “I’m making history in this sport.”
He elaborated on what type of history he was making.
“The only fighter in the history of this sport to ever go to the White House and hang out with a sitting president in the Oval Office,” Covington said. “I’ll be breaking more history this weekend when I have the first family front row at my fight.
“That’ll be the first time in history a fighter brings the first family to a UFC fight, so you never know what ‘Chaos’ is going to do.”
Covington had some scathing comments in June 2018 after neither the then-NBA champion Golden State Warriors nor then-NFL champion Philadelphia Eagles visited the White House for the traditional celebration.
“I’m going to do what a real American should do. I’m bringing this belt to the White House and I’m putting it on Donald Trump’s desk,” Covington told Joe Rogan in the immediate aftermath of his UFC 225 win.
“What a disgrace the Golden State Warriors and Philadelphia Eagles are. They’re a complete joke, a bunch of losers,” he said in a follow-up interview.
The 31-year-old fighter also eviscerated those like Colin Kaepernick who refused to stand for the national anthem.
“How dare you not kneel for the national anthem, how dare you not accept President Trump’s offer to the office?” Covington said. “There’s men and women losing their lives, sweating blood and tears … so you can eat off silver spoons and have your little Bentleys.”
“These silver spoon athletes they think they’re so tough. They act tough to Trump. Come act tough to me, I’m over at Coconut Creek [Florida] at America’s Top Team. Come see me, you little pencil neck geek Kevin Durant, you pencil neck little b—- Steph Curry.”
As of this writing, neither Curry nor Durant has accepted a fight with Covington.
But unlike the NBA stars, it appears as if the first family is ready, willing and able to accept Covington’s invitation to “UFC on ESPN 5,” where he’ll fight Robbie Lawler.
The event will take place Saturday night at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
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