Latest news with #ColbyCovington
Telegraph
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Trump to host UFC fight at White House
The White House lawn is usually where Donald Trump delivers brutal slapdowns of his political opponents before the world's media. Next year, it could become the political battleground could be transformed into a ring, with the world's top fighters facing off in an Ultimate Fighting Champion (UFC) championship bout to mark America's 250th birthday. Mr Trump unveiled the plans at a rally in Iowa on Thursday, telling supporters the event would take place in front of up to 25,000 people. 'We're going to have a UFC fight on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there. Dana is going to do it,' Mr Trump said. The UFC is yet to officially confirm any details of the event but Mr White, who supported the president during his re-election campaign last November, shared the news on X alongside the caption: 'This will be epic'. The company's Instagram account also shared a video of Mr Trump's announcement, before asking fans who they would like to see fight at the White House. Conor McGregor, who is credited with making the UFC a global sport, said he would be 'honoured' to star in the event. 'Count me in!' he posted on X after wishing Americans a happy 4th of July. McGregor, who met Mr Trump at the White House on St Patrick's Day, has not fought in the UFC since breaking his leg in 2021, but periodically teases his return to the sport. Colby Covington, a former interim champion, is also a big Trump supporter, and was frequently pictured wearing a Make America Great Again (MAGA) hat during the election. Covington, who is from Florida, even blamed campaigning for Mr Trump for his loss to Joaquin Buckley in December. Sean Strickland, a former Middleweight champion from Anaheim, California, is another vocal Trump supporter. On Thursday, Strickland posted on X in response to a trans swimmer being stripped of their medals in response to a directive from Mr Trump: 'It went from William Thomas to Lia Thomas back to William is finally healing. LFG Trump'. Neither the White House or the UFC have provided details on where exactly the fight would take place, but there are a few limited options. One option is the Rose Garden, a smaller, more intimate outdoor space often used for presidential addresses or events. But the administration recently started work on paving over the grass in the Rose Garden, making it less likely. More likely is a makeshift Octagon on the South Lawn, the largest open area on the White House grounds, covering three acres. It's often used for large events and state ceremonies, meaning it has the capacity to host large crowds. At the centre of the UFC is White, who rescued the company from bankruptcy in the early 2000s and transformed it into a multi-billion dollar global enterprise. At the time, Mr Trump was one of the few figures who offered White a platform, allowing events to be hosted at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City when others refused. The two have been friends and political allies ever since. White spoke at both the 2016 and 2020 Republican conventions, before appearing alongside Mr Trump's closest friends and family when he retook the White House in November. Mr Trump is regularly treated as a guest of honour at the UFC, where he walks out alongside White to the roar of thousands of fans. Over the past decade, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has evolved from a fringe combat league – once denounced by the late Republican senator John McCain as 'human cockfighting' – into one of America's most influential cultural platforms. It is a mixed-martial arts promotion in which a series of fights take place around the world, also known as fight nights. It calls itself the 'premier organisation in Mixed Marshall Arts (MMA)'. The UFC is broadcast in over 170 countries, and reaches over 900 million households. Perched behind Mr Trump in the front row you will often see some of his closest political allies including RFK Jr, the health secretary; Kash Patel, the FBI director; and Elon Musk, who until recently was a key figure in the administration and close friend of the president. Hollywood stars and musicians are also staples at UFC events, including Chris Pratt, Jared Letto, Matt Damon and French footballer Kylian Mbappe.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kamaru Usman fights back tears after beating Joaquin Buckley to earn first UFC win since 2021
Kamaru Usman fought back tears on Saturday after overcoming Joaquin Buckley in Atlanta, a result that marked his first UFC win since 2021. Usman, who retained the welterweight title five times during a three-year reign, used his wrestling prowess to dominate Buckley for four rounds, before surviving a fifth-round scare to earn a unanimous-decision win. Advertisement The scorecards read 49-46, 49-46, 48-47 in Usman's favour, as the Nigerian-American snapped a three-fight losing streak. In doing so, he also broke Buckley's six-fight winning run. Usman had last scored a victory in November 2021, outpointing old rival Colby Covington in his final successful title defence. Then, in August 2022, he was en route to a comfortable decision win over Leon Edwards before succumbing to a dramatic, late knockout. Usman, who previously outpointed Edwards in 2015, lost their trilogy bout on points in 2023, failing to regain the 170lb title. Then, in October 2023, he stepped in to face the unbeaten Khamzat Chimaev on short notice. In what was Usman's middleweight debut, he performed admirably but lost via decision. Usman, 38, returned to welterweight to face the in-form Buckley on Saturday (14 June), where he defied his doubters with an impressive performance, which gave way to an emotional post-fight interview. Advertisement 'It feels good,' he said in the cage. 'It's been a while, I needed to get that monkey off my back. I know I'm still able to do this at the highest level. Sometimes when you're going up against a young, hungry guy like that – very talented, very aggressive – you've got to pull out the skills and use the experience. Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman (Getty Images) 'That's what I did tonight. I expected him to be really, really tough, which he was. I know what it takes to work and get up in here. Thank you to him for bringing everything that he brought. 'I know it's a running joke, everybody wants to get on the internet and talk s***: 'Oh, his knees, his knees [are done]!' Well, shut the f*** up. I can still do what I do. The rest of the welterweight division, listen: I have been and always will be the f*****g boogeyman.' Advertisement 'I can do that to anybody, any one of them. Those knockouts will come, I just needed this monkey off my back. Next one, whoever it is for that title, I'll see about you.' An emotional Usman also referenced his daughter's absence from the Fight Night, saying: 'Before I go, I just wanted to say that I have a lot of emotions coming into this one [...] a lot of things that I had to battle back from. I'm holding back all the emotions. 'Unfortunately, my daughter can't be here with me tonight. That's another long story. But man, I just want to say thank you to everybody – thank you to my family, my coaches who kept me going, Buckley for bringing the challenge.' Jaoquin Buckley must go back to the drawing board (Getty) Jack Della Maddalena, the reigning welterweight champion, is due to defend the belt later this year against Islam Makhachev, who recently vacated the lightweight strap. 'JDM' won the belt in May by outpointing Belal Muhammad, who is now calling for a fight with Usman, but the 'Nigerian Nightmare' has insisted he only wants a title shot next.
The Independent
16-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Kamaru Usman fights back tears after beating Joaquin Buckley to earn first UFC win since 2021
Kamaru Usman fought back tears on Saturday after overcoming Joaquin Buckley in Atlanta, a result that marked his first UFC win since 2021. Usman, who retained the welterweight title five times during a three-year reign, used his wrestling prowess to dominate Buckley for four rounds, before surviving a fifth-round scare to earn a unanimous-decision win. The scorecards read 49-46, 49-46, 48-47 in Usman's favour, as the Nigerian-American snapped a three-fight losing streak. In doing so, he also broke Buckley's six-fight winning run. Usman had last scored a victory in November 2021, outpointing old rival Colby Covington in his final successful title defence. Then, in August 2022, he was en route to a comfortable decision win over Leon Edwards before succumbing to a dramatic, late knockout. Usman, who previously outpointed Edwards in 2015, lost their trilogy bout on points in 2023, failing to regain the 170lb title. Then, in October 2023, he stepped in to face the unbeaten Khamzat Chimaev on short notice. In what was Usman's middleweight debut, he performed admirably but lost via decision. Usman, 38, returned to welterweight to face the in-form Buckley on Saturday (14 June), where he defied his doubters with an impressive performance, which gave way to an emotional post-fight interview. 'It feels good,' he said in the cage. 'It's been a while, I needed to get that monkey off my back. I know I'm still able to do this at the highest level. Sometimes when you're going up against a young, hungry guy like that – very talented, very aggressive – you've got to pull out the skills and use the experience. 'That's what I did tonight. I expected him to be really, really tough, which he was. I know what it takes to work and get up in here. Thank you to him for bringing everything that he brought. 'I know it's a running joke, everybody wants to get on the internet and talk s***: 'Oh, his knees, his knees [are done]!' Well, shut the f*** up. I can still do what I do. The rest of the welterweight division, listen: I have been and always will be the f*****g boogeyman.' 'I can do that to anybody, any one of them. Those knockouts will come, I just needed this monkey off my back. Next one, whoever it is for that title, I'll see about you.' An emotional Usman also referenced his daughter's absence from the Fight Night, saying: 'Before I go, I just wanted to say that I have a lot of emotions coming into this one [...] a lot of things that I had to battle back from. I'm holding back all the emotions. 'Unfortunately, my daughter can't be here with me tonight. That's another long story. But man, I just want to say thank you to everybody – thank you to my family, my coaches who kept me going, Buckley for bringing the challenge.' Jack Della Maddalena, the reigning welterweight champion, is due to defend the belt later this year against Islam Makhachev, who recently vacated the lightweight strap.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dick, ‘Move On, It's Over'
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veteran Michael Chiesa returns to action against fellow Ultimate Fighter (TUF) winner Court McGee at UFC Atlanta this weekend (Sat., June 14, 2025) inside State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. While a clash between two TUF winners excites dedicated fans, Chiesa had his sights set on a high-profile bout against three-time Welterweight title challenger Colby Covington, an idea proposed by TUF Season 33 coaches Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen. Advertisement The matchup gained traction among UFC matchmakers and executives, but Covington ultimately seemed to decline. 'I don't know if I can really divulge much, but the powers at be liked the idea, Chael and DC liked it a lot, the higher-ups loved the idea, and I thought it would have been great ending to The Ultimate Fighter but I've kinda just given up on the idea of calling the guy out,' Chiesa said during UFC Atlanta media day. 'I think he's going to go a different direction in his career, and I think being a streamer is what he's pursuing right now. He doesn't have the desire to compete as much as he did before.' 'So, it's just time to move on and let him do what he wants to do, and if he fights again, he fights again,' Chiesa added. 'I'm focused on Court McGee and moving him out of the equation.' It's his loss and the fans' loss because he brings a lot of heat the way he builds his fight, and I have the style to beat him, but move on, it's over. 'He's a nice guy off camera, dick on camera,' Chiesa concluded. Advertisement Covington is deep into his streaming phase and appears to be enjoying it (whatever that entails) while still maintaining his annoying over-the-top WWE-style persona. The longtime top-ranked Welterweight is riding a two-fight losing streak and has only won two fights since 2020. Remember that will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Atlanta fight card right here, starting with the ESPN/ESPN+ 'Prelims' matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET, before the main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+). To check out the latest and greatest UFC Atlanta: 'Usman vs. Buckley' news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. More from
Evening Standard
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Evening Standard
How to watch Usman vs Buckley: TV channel and live stream for UFC today
The 31-year-old St Louis native is now eleven years into his career and has not tasted defeat since December 2022. His last fight came as he headlined UFC on ESPN 63, downing Colby Covington via a third-round TKO.
