Colby Covington has never been afraid to speak his mind, even when it gets him in hot water.
The UFC star has been outspoken in his support for former President Trump, as well as his fight against the woke Left. His support for the MAGA movement has drawn criticism from the Left, with The Insider declaring Covington to be “the most controversial fighter in the UFC.”
Nothing makes me prouder than fighting for the people who fight for America!!! THANK YOU to all the brave men and women of law enforcement and the military!!! Thank You @realDonaldTrump for all the love and support!! The silent majority is ready to make some noise November 3rd!! pic.twitter.com/CazbUUnIiJ
— Colby Covington (@ColbyCovMMA) September 20, 2020
Covington is an athlete, and as he sees the world of sports continuing to move further to the Left, he refuses to give in.
“The biggest thing is that I’m in the UFC, so I’m an independent contractor,” Covington told Steve Bannon on his podcast “War Room Pandemic.” “I don’t have to bow down to anybody. No one is going to tell me how I’m going to think, or tell me what I’m going to do. I don’t have a commissioner breathing down my neck saying ‘Hey. If you don’t say this or run with this narrative then we’re going to cut you or take away your endorsements.’ So, thankfully in the UFC I’m able to speak my voice.”
His comments on athletes “bowing down” seemingly comes from the recent number of athletes — many in the NBA — afraid of speaking out against the Chinese government. LeBron James — who has business dealings in China — famously avoided condemning the authoritarian regime as they cracked down on independent Hong Kong.
“I just see all the hypocrisy from LeBron. He claims to be about social justice but he won’t say ‘Free Hong Kong.’ He won’t talk about the Uyghurs that are locked up in concentration camps in China,” Covington said. “He won’t talk about all the women that he’s profiting off of in his Chinese sweatshops that are making all his shoes — for dollars — that he’s coming over to America and selling them for hundreds and profiting millions off of here in America.”
Covington continued to hammer James, who seemingly has no problem speaking on every issue besides China.
“So, I just wanted to call a spade a spade. I wasn’t going to let him dupe the people and make the people think he’s a social justice warrior and he’s on this pedestal,” Covington continued. “No, LeBron James is not on a pedestal. That guy is a piece of crap. He’s a piece of garbage. He uses that school that he’s funding as a tax write off and then he wants to claim that he’s some good guy. No, he’s not a good guy, man. All he cares about is lining his own pockets and bowing down to China. The real heroes in this country are the heroes of law enforcement, are the heroes in military. Those are the people that are protecting our freedoms and fighting for us everyday and sacrificing the ultimate sacrifice — their lives to keep us free.”
Covington continued to dish on the NBA – the league that has been at the forefront of the social justice and Black Lives Matter movement. He’s called NBA players the “softest in the world,” and doubled down on the subject once more.
“I meant what I said. Those guys, they get cramps — like LeBron James — he’s sitting out a whole playoff series or the NBA players stub their toe and they can’t play for a couple weeks,” Covington said. “Those guys aren’t fighters, they’re not patriots, they’re not standing up for what they believe in. They’re bowing down to the woke mob and they sprain their pinkie and you won’t see them for weeks. They’re not real fighters. I get locked in a cage with a professional fighter and they’re trying to take my head off. That’s real fighting. I’m fighting for my life with these bare hands. I’m not a privileged athlete like these NBA players. So, LeBron James, John Cena, the Chinese finger puppets — they’re a joke.”
Cena, a WWE performer and actor, was recently forced to apologize after calling Taiwan a country in a pathetic, groveling video posted on Chinese social media. It clearly rubbed Covington the wrong way, and the idea that Cena is a “tough guy,” really got him riled up.
“John Cena does play fighting, Steve. I do real fighting. And John Cena, he takes all these steroids, he has all these fake muscles, but he’s got no backbone. He’s got no spine. Taiwan, you are your own country. We need to fight communism and the fact that John Cena is bowing down to the Chinese and trying to toe the line of his Chinese masters is an absolute disgrace to the American people and a slap to the face. And speaking of slapping in the face … I promise you Steve, if I ever get locked in a room or I see John Cena in a room, I will slap the taste out of his mouth.”
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to [email protected].