MAGA UFC Star Fumes After Being Left Off White House Card — Wanted to Fight in Front of ‘Hero’ Trump

UFC star Colby Covington slammed the company for leaving him off the White House card and depriving him of the chance to fight in front of his “hero” President Donald Trump.

Covington on Thursday appeared on the Australian MMA show Submission Radio to discuss the card for UFC Freedom 250. Staged on the White House lawn, the event will be headlined with a bout between American Justin Gaethje and Georgian Ilia Topuria.

Notable exclusions from the card were Covington and Sean Strickland — arguably the most vocal supporters of Trump on the UFC roster.

Covington said he was willing to fight anyone for a chance to take part in the event.

“I asked for anybody,” Covington said. “I said I’d fight anybody on God’s green earth on the White House card just to get that opportunity to fight in front of my hero, Donald Trump, and all the great politicians that I’m friends with up in D.C. It’s just unfortunate, but, you know, I don’t make the decisions. That’s up to UFC. It’s up to [UFC chief business officer] Hunter Campbell.”

Covington added that UFC higher-ups wanted him to face the winner of April’s fight between Gilbert Burns and Mike Malott. Submission Radio host Denis Shkuratov pushed back on the UFC’s excuse, arguing that the company still could’ve found a way to include Covington in Freedom 250. The 38-year-old agreed, adding:

No, it doesn’t make sense to me. It doesn’t make sense to you. It definitely doesn’t make sense to the fans. So, they’re upsetting their hardcore fanbase, and it’s just sad, you know? It’s like they’re checking out, you know? It’s like they made their money with Paramount [and] they’re like, whatever, we’re just going to throw shit at the wall and we’re going to tell everybody it’s filet mignon.

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