Chael Sonnen sees Colby Covington as a trendsetter.
It’s no secret that Sonnen has the gift of gab. “The American Gangster” was the first fighter to become a true rival to Anderson Silva. He’s also stirred the pot with Jon Jones and Tito Ortiz. Ahead of his Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix bout with Fedor Emelianenko, Sonnen has been firing off verbal shots at “The Last Emperor,” something one of the greatest fighters of all time isn’t used to.
People often compare Covington to Sonnen. “Chaos” represents the hard-working, in your face style that Sonnen has. Neither man cares about quick finishes, as long as they put in the work to emerge victorious. On top of that, they both aren’t afraid to be just shy of crossing the line when it comes trash talk.
During a recent appearance on MMAFighting.com‘s “The MMA Hour,” Sonnen said Covington is blazing his own trail:
“In many ways, he’s going to reinvent the sport. Is that for better or worse? Time will tell, and then you can decide. But people are going to start copying him. He’s the first guy ever to come out and say, ‘I’m just here to entertain you.’ So, yes, it’s an act, and yes, it’s a performance, but here it is and you guys seem to enjoy it. He’s the first guy. The only guy who ever did that in wrestling was The Rock. Everybody else stayed in character and held the old kayfabe montage. But he’s the first guy to come out and go, ‘Look, I’m just looking to entertain you. If the UFC isn’t going to bring me cameras, I’ll hire my own production crew, I’ll pay them, but I’m going to get this content recorded and out to the masses.’”
Do you believe more fighters will take the Colby Covington route?
