During a chat with Adin Ross, Donald Trump was asked about his favorite UFC fighters, and to everyone’s surprise, he named Khabib Nurmagomedov. This raised a few eyebrows, especially since many thought Trump might choose Colby Covington, who was seen as a top contender for his approval. But instead, Khabib took the spotlight.
Despite Khabib being from Dagestan, Russia, not America, Trump holds great respect for the former lightweight champion. This respect grew after they met at UFC 302, where Khabib also showed his support for peace efforts in Palestine.
Colby Covington Reacts to Donald Trump Calling Khabib His Favorite Fighter
When Colby Covington heard that Donald Trump picked Khabib Nurmagomedov as his favorite UFC fighter, it might’ve felt a little weird for him. After all, Colby was the first UFC champ to be invited to The White House. So, it was surprising that Trump chose Khabib, who’s from Russia, instead of Colby, the American fighter.
“He didn’t say that Khabib was his favorite fighter,” Covington said at UFC Tampa media day on Wednesday. “He just asked, who are some of your favorite fighters? He had saw Khabib the weekend before, so he’s giving a shoutout to him.”
“We want good relations with Russia, so it made sense to go that route. We want peace in the Middle East. We want peace around the world. We don’t want Russia going after Ukraine. We need more peace. So, I’m happy.”
Donald Trump Says That Khabib Is His Favorite UFC Fighter..😱 pic.twitter.com/ruy6cC4TlV
— KickChamp👑 (@Kick_Champ) August 5, 2024
Colby Covington really likes Donald Trump. In fact, he’s one of the biggest Trump supporters in the UFC. In 2017, Colby even put his special UFC belt right on Trump’s desk in the White House. It was a big moment to show how much Colby supports the president. So, it probably felt strange for Colby when Trump chose Khabib as his favorite fighter instead of him.
Colby Covington Says Trump Views Him as One of His Favorite UFC Fighters
Colby Covington and the president have been good pals for a while now. After Covington beat Tyron Woodley, Trump called him to say congratulations. And when Covington fought for the championship at UFC 296 against Leon Edwards, Trump was right there at the cage, cheering him on.
“He has a lot of favorite fighters that he likes. I’m one of his favorite fighters,” Covington said of Trump. “He invites me to Mara-a-Lago sitting next to him on election night. [Baron Trump] introduced me to Elon Musk for Thanksgiving…”
Thank you for always being the champion the people of America need Mr. President! God bless you and the entire Trump Family for always putting America First! 🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/p910qjmIOt
— Colby Covington (@ColbyCovMMA) January 20, 2021
Colby Covington is stepping back into the octagon this weekend at UFC Tampa. He’s set to face the up-and-coming fighter Joaquin Buckley in a big showdown. Get ready for some action.
Colby Covington reacts to Donald Trump saying Khabib is his favorite fighter.
“We want good relations with Russia, so it made sense to go that route.” pic.twitter.com/Yc4MOPNxC1
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) December 11, 2024
