Daniel Cormier worries how Colby Covington deals with 'kickback' from MAGA gimmick

Daniel Cormier wonders how Colby Covington will keep his gimmick up if he’s not winning.

Covington (17-5 MMA, 12-5 UFC) lost his second consecutive fight when he suffered a third-round doctor stoppage TKO to Joaquin Buckley in this past Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 63 headliner at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. Covington lost the first two round but appeared to be rallying in the third before the doctor waived the fight off due to a gash on his right eyelid.

Cormier is not ready to completely write off Covington just yet, but with the former interim welterweight champion on a losing skid for the first time in his career, Cormier questions how it will impact his character that leans all the way into being obsessed with Donald Trump.

“I think he’ll win another UFC fight at some point. I just worry or wonder how he’s going to handle the kickback now from his gimmick,” Cormier told MMA Junkie. “The gimmick is all good whenever you’re winning, but then you’ve got to deal with a lot of enemies whenever things go sideways. I think that’s ultimately going to determine how Colby bounces back when he steps back in the octagon.”

Covington has lost three of his past four fights but has been involved in several marquee matchups and title fights in the past seven years. He fell short in his three attempts at undisputed UFC gold – twice to Kamaru Usman, and most recently Leon Edwards last December at UFC 296.