Colby Covington is known for living up to his nickname, “Chaos,” both inside and outside the octagon. Whether it’s his relentless fighting style or his fiery trash talk, Covington has a knack for keeping things unpredictable.
But while fans know him for the chaos he creates, few know the heartwarming backstory behind the moniker. In a throwback interview, Covington revealed how the nickname originated from a childhood memory involving his mother—a story that adds a surprising layer of charm to one of the UFC’s most polarizing figures.
While speaking on a podcast, Covington got nostalgic and claimed that as a kid he had a lot of energy. He would run around the house and play sports all day long.
“I could never sit still on the couch. She’d (his mother) always try to make me sit still and work on some math or work on some science, I’m like mom no I just want to be running free. I just want to be out there playing sports. So she’s like yeah your name is chaos.”
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Covington wasn’t always the loudmouthed, trash-talking persona fans love (or love to hate) today. Early in his UFC career, Covington feared he might be cut despite his winning record, simply because he wasn’t making enough waves. That’s why he decided to flip the switch and leaned into an over-the-top, right-wing persona, talking trash and embracing the chaos.
It was a massive gamble but it worked for him, turning him into one of the most talked-about fighters in the promotion, securing main events and title shots. And in doing so, he has also re-christened many of his peers with new names as well.
Covington passes on the favor
Over the past six years, Covington has dished out trash talk and created a list of nicknames designed to rile up fighters and fans alike. Some of them are just widely stereotypical, while others are just bizarre and don’t make any sense.
Rafael dos Anjos became “Rafael dos Nachos,” while Jorge Masvidal was dubbed “Street Judas.” Rising contender Khamzat Chimaev wasn’t spared either, earning the name “Cumsh*t Chimaev.”
Covington has even doubled up on his nicknames for rivals like Dustin Poirier, calling him “Dustbin Poirier” and “Dustin Soyrier”. His arch-nemesis, Kamaru Usman, got hit with “The CEO of EPO” and “Marty Fakenewsman”.
But his trash talk isn’t just for fighters. He has called referee Marc Goddard “Marc Not So Gooddard” after blaming him for what he felt was an early stoppage in his first fight against Usman. Even Ali Abdelaziz wasn’t safe, earning the moniker “Ali Abdelasleeze”!
Now, Covington might be terrible at a lot of things but handing out names isn’t one of them. They might be weird but they sure are catchy.
