Colby Covington says he handed Tyron Woodley ‘ass whoopings’ when they trained together

Colby Covington is never afraid to ask for what he wants.

The former All-American wrestler has recently become one of the most vocal members of the UFC roster while constantly calling for the toughest matchups available, which is exactly how he landed a co-main event spot against Demian Maia this weekend in Brazil.

Fresh off a lopsided win over Dong Hyun Kim in his last fight, Covington has planted himself in the top 10 rankings and he believes a win over Maia on Saturday should finally put him into position to challenge for the welterweight title.

If that comes together, Covington would be lined up to face champion Tyron Woodley, who represents the same gym at American Top Team in Florida. Of course, Covington has been taking shots at Woodley for months while proclaiming over and over again that the reigning welterweight champion may say he’s from the same team but his absence from the gym for the past two years tells a much different story.

“He’s a fake, he’s a phony, he’s a cry baby,” Covington said when speaking to the Fight Society podcast. “He makes stuff up. The guy has no truth in anything he says. That’s a complete lie. The guy doesn’t even train at American Top Team. He trains over in St. Louis and then when he’s not training in St. Louis, he goes to Duke Roufus. Don’t believe everything you hear out of that guy’s mouth.

“You’ve got to believe what you see and that guy’s a complete fake. He’s a phony. I can’t wait to expose that guy.”

While Covington has been railing on Woodley for months, the welterweight champion hasn’t really acknowledged him much except when asked about the upstart contender in interviews.

Woodley largely dismissed Covington’s constant attacks while saying that his ultimate justice was watching the outspoken welterweight train under a photo with his face on it while holding the UFC title he so desperately wants.

Covington has a different version of the story as to why Woodley refuses to address him and that’s because he’s already started to get under the welterweight champion’s skin.

Add to that, Covington claims that Woodley already felt what it was like to go with him during a few training sessions they had together a couple of years ago before he left American Top Team completely to begin training near his home in St. Louis or under coach Duke Roufus at his gym in Wisconsin.

“I was under his skin a couple of years ago when I was putting whoopings on him in the gym at American Top Team when he used to train at American Top Team. So definitely I think I’ve gotten under his skin. He’s completely blocked me off every social media outlet and yet he still wants to make comments about me,” Covington said.

“So I already know I’m under his skin. On top of that, I was under his skin when I was giving him ass whoopings and beating the s–t out of him when he was supposed to be this unheralded guy and I was supposed to be this up and coming guy that nobody knew about. Tyron Woodley knows what’s coming with Colby “Chaos” Covington and that’s a guy that’s going to put him into retirement.”

Of course while Woodley may not spend the bulk of his time at the main American Top Team facility in Florida, he still maintains close ties to the gym including a longstanding relationship with former UFC fighter Din Thomas.

Thomas now serves as a coach at American Top Team while also working with Woodley before all of his fights in the UFC. The two even host a podcast together as they’ve become close friends in addition to their working relationship as coach and fighter.

Considering that bond between Thomas and Woodley, it might seem to make for an awkward encounter whenever Covington walks through the gym and they run into each other.

Well, Covington quickly dismisses that notion while taking aim at Thomas’ role at American Top Team, which precludes them from ever really interacting in the first place.

“Din Thomas is one of the main coaches at ATT for the women’s team and the amateur team. He doesn’t have anything to do with the pros really. He’s kind of a low level guy,” Covington said. “Yeah him and Tyron are boys but he doesn’t train at American Top Team anymore. He’s over in St. Louis, he’s over at Duke Roufus’ in Milwaukee, so he can’t claim ATT anymore. He’s been here maybe once in the last two years.

“Besides that, it’s not going to change anything because look at what happened with him and Robbie Lawler when Robbie Lawler was ATT. The best guys in the world, they’ve got to fight each other. There’s no running and hiding.”

Covington makes it clear that his agenda starts with Maia on Saturday night and it ends with a title fight against Woodley in 2018.

“I heard he’s already trying to make excuses ‘no, I don’t want to fight Colby, he’s got to earn it, he’s got to deserve it’. I’m earning it,” Covington said. “I’m running through this division. I’ll clear it out until I get you Tyron Woodley.

“Just know I’m coming for you.”