UFC welterweight contender Colby Covington is going through a rough patch in the UFC right now.
“Chaos” is currently on a two-fight losing streak and has lost four out of his last six outings in the promotion.
Colby Covington Makes an Appearance on TUF 33
Chael Sonnen and Daniel Cormier have been picked for the role of coaches for the 33rd season of UFC’s cult show “The Ultimate Fighter”. Sonnen recently brought Covington onto the show as an assistant coach to give advice to fighters on his team.
During one interaction with a TUF fighter named Diego Bianchini, Covington shared how he received hate for playing a character in the media. Seemingly out of character, the 37-year-old spoke about how his gimmick helped him get a shot at UFC gold by trash-talking against his fellow fighters and taking personal jabs at them.
View this post on Instagram
“If you read the internet, all the Brazilians hate me… But they didn’t understand what I’m doing,” said Covington. “So, I just went in there thinking, ‘I need to do something different.’ And I went out there and did it. And they went from saying, ‘Hey, we’re not gonna re-sign you’ to ‘Hey, we’re putting you in a title fight the next fight.'”
Though Covington caused some controversy and wasn’t necessarily liked, he made headlines and drew attention to his sport. Sports are nothing but entertainment, just like music and movies. Covington knew that and took advantage of it in order to advance his career and have success.
He told Bianchini to “be more than just a fighter” and that “UFC is a business. You wanna do good business with them. Open your eyes to promoting yourself, to marketing.”
Success in the industry is beyond being a good fighter. A part of it is being a marketable brand that sells tickets and generates viewership. Not only will this lead to success for the UFC, but it could also lead to personal success and riches for the fighter beyond fighting.
“You gotta be able to sell parts of yourself and once they see you’re able to do that, you know how to, then you’ll start getting endorsements because you have a brand,” Covington said. “You wanna make a good life for you and your family. You wanna have a good financial future… Short career, so get the most out of it… It’s more than just fighting. You’re a businessman now.”
Several MMA fans took notice of Covington’s comments and shared their reactions on social media.
One individual said, “He should drop the act and be his humble self.”
Another user criticized Covington’s gimmick: “Maybe Colby is a good guy, but his character is [the] worst thing in MMA history.”
One fan defended “Chaos” and his decision to play a character to earn money.
“He’s right. His character wasn’t his authentic self but did give me many laughs. It was sad he had to do that to keep his career in the UFC but that’s the only way to make the bag.”
Sonnen also spoke about Covington’s appearance on TUF 33 and how it impacted his team of fighters.
Colby Covington is an assistant coach for Team Sonnen on #TUF33 🔥 pic.twitter.com/sP4pLl5Jlv
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 28, 2025
”Every one of these guys admires Colby, they watch Colby, they aspire to be like Colby. Colby chose to be a hands-on coach; he’s the dominant force in the room. They want to be like him. Colby could not be any better, he’s worth his weight in gold.”
It’s always interesting to gain insight into the inner workings of huge industries like the UFC. Covington’s advice did just that.