Joaquin Buckley may solely snicker when he heard that Colby Covington dismissed him as if he was a no person that by no means crossed paths with him earlier than.
It seems, Buckley says he really put in a while coaching on the identical fitness center as Covington in Florida and even provided to assist him prepare for a title struggle within the UFC. Sadly, they by no means bought an opportunity to get in any work collectively, which is what instructed Buckley all the pieces he wanted to learn about Covington.
“Why you mendacity, Colby? Why you mendacity?” Buckley stated throughout UFC Tampa media day. “That’s the funniest factor. We’ve carried out already met one another earlier than. This can be our third time assembly one another if we get to face off.
“After I skilled out in Miami with MMA Masters, this was proper earlier than he had the struggle with Kamaru Usman. Earlier than I met him, I knew that he skilled down there, I didn’t know what to anticipate. I had solely identified him from all of the stuff that he does on digital camera. However after I noticed him, only a chill dude. He was like ‘what’s up man’ [and] I’m like ‘the way you doing, bro?’ Only a fundamental man. Finally, I used to be like I may help you out with this Kamaru Usman struggle, I feel we must always get some rounds in, get some coaching in. [He said] ‘oh man I’d love that, that will be cool.’ Humorous factor about it, it simply by no means occurred. As a result of he simply didn’t wish to work.”
Buckley believes that Covington didn’t wish to practice with him as a result of he noticed the long run welterweight contender as a menace who may probably finest him simply weeks away from the largest struggle of his profession.
For his half, Buckley prefers working with coaching companions who continuously drive him to get higher, which could require him to lose some rounds, however he doesn’t see that very same mentality in any individual like Covington.
“The factor about Colby Covington, he sort of runs his personal profession, and he likes to work snug,” Buckley defined. “The factor about me is though I sort of do the identical factor, I don’t like working snug. I like working with new guys. I like working with guys which might be hungry, and I like placing myself in place the place it’s going to make me higher.
“That’s the place I really feel like he misplaced these large fights as a result of he was all the time coaching snug and he didn’t wish to practice with guys which might be going to push him.”
So far as this struggle coming collectively on shorter discover with Covington changing Ian Machado Garry, who bought pulled to compete at UFC 310, Buckley was considerably stunned however he additionally seems like he is aware of why this matchup is occurring.
“It’s humorous how he was scared to simply practice with me and now he’s stepping within the cage with me,” Buckley stated. “For actual, Colby’s been quiet and he hasn’t been saying something as a result of he is aware of the reality. I feel he’s actually nervous to step in that cage with me.
“He needs to struggle 145 [pound fighters], he needs to struggle Paddy Pimblett, Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira, guys that’s not welterweight fighters. I really feel like, in my view, this could be his final struggle on his contract. I’m simply assuming that. If you wish to struggle and it’s going to be your final one, you wish to go off on prime. I actually really feel like with that being stated, he had no alternative however to take this struggle as a result of it’s his final one.”
Covington later revealed that he really signed a brand new multi-fight take care of the UFC previous to his title bout towards Leon Edwards final December.
Regardless, Covington enters the UFC Tampa most important occasion with a 3-3 report over his previous six fights with a win over Rafael dos Anjos from 2018 serving as his most up-to-date victory over a fighter on the present, lively UFC roster.
For Buckley, that each one simply provides as much as Covington didn’t step into save the principle occasion as a lot because the UFC actually didn’t give him another choice however to just accept this struggle.
“I actually really feel like he had no alternative,” Buckley stated. “It’s both struggle or depart, retire.”