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Colby Covington was put on ‘lockdown’ after x-rated attack on hostile crowd saved UFC career

Originally posted on Bloody Elbow | By Ross Markey | Last updated Oct 28, 2025 12:47 PM ET

Polarizing welterweight star Colby Covington managed to save his tenure in the UFC, on the back of one of the most hostile altercations with a crowd in Octagon history.

Involved in feud after feud during his controversial run in the promotion, former interim champion Colby Covington has yet to fight since his most recent outing 11 months ago.

And taking on Joaquin Buckley in a third-round doctor’s stoppage TKO loss, Covington has yet to book his return to the cage.

But riding his controversial past in the promotion still, the Covington character was born off the back of a severe rant aimed at an entire country, which he claims saved his entire run in the organization.

Colby Covington’s explosive rant after Demian Maia win

Enjoying a five-fight winning spree en route to his first championship outing in the UFC, Covington turned in the last of those victories on this day in 2017.

And pitted against perennial contender and former title challenger Demian Maia, Covington emerged with a one-sided decision win on hostile territory in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Having just dissected one of the partisan fans’ biggest favorites, Covington hit out at the attending fans — and entirety of Brazil, in a brutal rant aimed at the country.

“I should’ve knocked him (Demian Maia) out,” Covington said during his post-fight interview. “Brazil, you’re a dump, all you filthy animals suck.”

And reflecting on his x-rated tirade, Covington — akin to former title challenger Chael Sonnen, required a security force to transport him around Brazil, before he was placed on “lockdown” after his brash comments.

“I’m in my room on lockdown, and I wasn’t supposed to leave until they came and got me to go to the airport,” Covington said in 2017. “I think they stayed up all night on my floor, four different security guards all night on my floor.

“…There was someone who knocked on my door, and we had no idea who it was,” Covington explained. “They were like, ‘I don’t speak good English, but I’m a journalist,’ and my dad’s freaking out looking through the peephole like ‘oh my God, I think someone’s here to murder you, Colby.'”

Colby Covington’s infamous feud with Jorge Masvidal

Finally settling his long-standing score with Jorge Masvidal in his most recent Octagon win, former interim champion Covington took bragging rights over his former close friend.

Training alongside the inaugural BMF titleholder at American Top Team for years, Covington took home a lopsided unanimous decision win, before once more blasting the Floridian post-fight.

Infamously, the duo met at an establishment in Miami later that same year, with the duo embroiled in a brawl outside of the cage.

This article first appeared on Bloody Elbow and was syndicated with permission.

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