Colby Covington drops character for Kamaru Usman, blasts ‘scumbag’ Jon Jones

UFC's Colby Covington talks Kamaru Usman and Jon Jones, two fighters he hasn't always gotten along with.

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Colby Covington has no love for his UFC rivals... or does he?

When you look at Covington's career, you can see there's two sides to the former UFC interim champion. A once-respectful contender on the come-up, everything changed for Covington after he 'turned heel' in 2017, adopting a loud and brash WWE-type personality that still echoes today.

Covington's crossed many lines with his trash-talk, mentioning family among other things before grudge matches against Leon Edwards and Jorge Masvidal. Then-champ Kamaru Usman had his war of words with Covington, too, punishing his rival for it in uber-competitive title fights at UFC 245 and UFC 268.

Colby Covington challenged Kamaru Usman for the UFC welterweight title twice. / Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

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Covington Runs Into Kamaru Usman At UFC Vegas 102

Their last punches traded in 2021, Covington surprisingly greeted Usman with a smile while at the UFC Apex, asking 'What's up, buddy? How you doing, man?'

Colby Covington ran into Kamaru Usman during his livestream 👀 pic.twitter.com/8JUmg5EUA0

— CrashMMA (@mmacrash) February 16, 2025

This was during one of Covington's livestreams on Twitch, Usman not sticking around for too long after "Chaos" told him he was recording, saying they'd talk later.

"I don't think he wanted to talk on the stream cause he didn't want the chat to hear what he had to say. We'll definitely chop it up in a little bit, maybe get a picture or maybe we'll just fight. You never know."

Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington have exchanged plenty of trash talk over the years. / Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

Covington Takes Jab At Jon Jones - Context Explained

UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones is someone Colby Covington has a picture with, the two knowing each other from their college days at Central Iowa Community College where they were roommates for two years.

Colby Covington just went OFF on Jon Jones for dissing him after his loss last weekend 😬 pic.twitter.com/iHJbxymju9

— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) December 18, 2024

Despite the connection, Covington and Jones are no longer friends, "Chaos" unloading on Jones many times over the years regarding his criminal history, doping controversies, and also sexuality.

Covington tied in Jones' past steroid history for his latest swipe at the champion.

"We should probably look under it to see if Jon Jones is there, just like when he hid there from USADA," Covington said on Twitch, checking under a boxing ring at the UFC Performance Institute. "Are you still failing your steroid tests? Guy's a scumbag."

Colby Covington tries to search for Jon Jones under a boxing ring at the UFC PI 😭😭

🎥 @ColbyCovMMA #UFC #MMApic.twitter.com/brn38WET7U

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) February 17, 2025

Context, you might ask? Well, the story of Jon Jones hiding under a cage to avoid a drug test at his (former) gym of JacksonWink is actually true, "Bones" clearing up the rumor in 2020, 5 years after it had happened.

"I was hiding from Nevada State Athletic Commission, not USADA and that was years ago. I had just smoked a blunt and was afraid I would fail my test for weed. That's the actual truth," Jones wrote on X.

Brother explain your titty 🥴 I was hiding from Nevada state Athletic Commission, not USADA and that was years ago.. I had just smoked a blunt and was afraid I would fail my test for weed 🤷🏾‍♂️ that’s the actual truth 😁Now everyone knows everyone

— Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) October 9, 2020

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Cage story aside, Jon Jones tested positive for anabolic steroid Turinabol in 2017, stripped again of his light heavyweight title in one of his many controversies in and out of the Octagon.

Jon Jones lengthy list of out-of-cage issues has threatened to derail his career at several points. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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