Colby Covington is standing firmly behind Conor McGregor in the wake of the Irish star’s injury TKO loss to Max Holloway at UFC 329, declining to criticize him after the setback.
McGregor returned this past Saturday in Milwaukee after a five-year hiatus following a leg break against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. His rematch with Holloway ended early when McGregor suffered a knee injury, resulting in a TKO win for the Hawaiian.
Instead of piling on, Covington praised McGregor’s impact on the sport, saying, "McGregor, you know, he’s the biggest star the sport’s ever seen," and added, "He sold a lot of tickets. I think it was the highest gate the UFC has ever seen, so he boosted the economy for the UFC and for Vegas. So good on him for doing that. The excitement, the electricity that he brings to a UFC arena, that can’t be understated."
Covington took aim at Dustin Poirier for his negative comments about McGregor after the loss, declaring, "McGregor is still a first ballot Hall of Famer and the biggest star the sport’s ever seen, so I’m not gonna kick him while he’s down, I’m not going to be like that fraud Dustin soy boy, Louisiana swamp trash Poirier."
Looking ahead, Covington believes McGregor will return after surgery, stating, "Yeah, I do think Conor fights again," and noting McGregor has one fight remaining on his UFC contract. Covington is scheduled to face Arman Tsarukyan in the main event of RAF 11 this Saturday in Milwaukee.
