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Ex-UFC Champ Calls Out 'Scumbag' LeBron James For Viral 'Diddy Party' Comment

The former UFC welterweight champion opened his UFC Tampa pre-fight media scrum attacking future NBA legend LeBron James.

Zain Bando

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
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Former interim UFC welterweight champion Colby Covington is tired of NBA star LeBron James.

Covington Goes Off On James Before UFC Tampa

Despite James' star power as one of basketball's most influential athletes, Covington, aproud Donald Trump supporter, stood down Wednesday during his UFC Tampa pre-fight media scrum while making a scathing accusation.

UFC Tampa Preview - Covington vs. Buckley Best Fights & Full Card

“I wanna ask LeBron, what does he mean by ‘There’s no party like a Diddy party’?" Covington said. "I truly want to know, and not only that, LeBron, how many Diddy parties have you actually been to? I'm really curious to know, and is that the reason you left social media? Because of all the backlash you were getting from going to so many DIddy parties?"

At press time, James has yet to respond to Covington's comments. "Chaos" didn't stop there, however.

"It's just pathetic, man," Covington added. "People think this guy's a role model, [he] wants to defund the police; the most patriotic people in America, serving and protecting our country."

Ex-UFC Champ Calls Out 'Scumbag' LeBron James For Viral 'Diddy Party' Comment
Dec 16, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Leon Edwards (red gloves) fights Colby Covington (blue gloves) during UFC 296 at T-Mobile Arena. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Colby Covington on UFC Retirement, Says Joaquin Buckley ‘Does Nothing for My Career'

"LeBron, you're a f****** scumbag, and I hope you get locked up in the same cell with Diddy," Covington said in a stern tone.

Covington's return to the UFC marks his first fight since December last year, failing to capture the undisputed welterweight title against then-champion Leon Edwards at UFC 296.

Covington fights Joaquin Buckley in Saturday night's main event to close out this year's UFC calendar. Buckley is on a five-fight winning streak, most recently defeating former title challenger Stephen Thompson by third-round TKO at UFC 307.

Covington's last win came against Jorge Masvidal in March 2022, losing three out of his last five outings.

Colby Covington Offers 2 Reasons for Leon Edwards Loss

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99

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