Colby Covington carried out his media-day duties for UFC 296 while sporting a jacket featuring Donald Trump’s mugshot.
Covington is set to challenge Leon Edwards for the welterweight title on Saturday, with Trump having expressed his intention to be present in Las Vegas.
The controversial Covington is known to be friends with the former US president, who has attended numerous UFC events in recent years – and as recently as UFC 295 in November.
And Covington paid tribute to Trump on Wednesday (13 December) by turning up to a media day while wearing a jacket featuring the 77-year-old’s mugshot.
Trump’s mugshot began to circulate in August, when he voluntarily surrendered himself to authorities in Atlanta after being indicted on racketeering and related charges. The former US president, who is currently part of a civil fraud trial involving his businesses, served as US president from 2017 until 2021 and is eyeing another electoral run in 2024.
American Covington has been in typically antagonistic form this week as he prepares for his third shot at the undisputed welterweight title. The former interim champion, 35, twice failed to dethrone Kamaru Usman – in 2019 and 2021 – before Edwards knocked out Usman in August 2022 to win the belt.
Edwards, who was previously outpointed by Usman in 2015, then retained the gold against his rival with a decision win this March. As such, Saturday’s main event at the T-Mobile Arena marks the Jamaican-born Briton’s second title defence. Edwards, 32, has won 11 fights in a row with the exception of a No Contest against Belal Muhammad in 2021.
Muhammad is the back-up fighter for Edwards’s bout with Covington, who last fought in March 2022 and outpointed friend-turned-rival Jorge Masvidal on that occasion.
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