Colby Covington doesn’t plan to only fade into the background when his preventing profession is over.

Contemporary off of a disappointing determination loss to Leon Edwards at UFC 296, the 35-year-old welterweight contender has been making the media rounds to explain his poor performance and focus on what’s subsequent for him after his third failed try at changing into champion.

Covington instructed the PBD Podcast that he’d wish to observe within the footsteps of his idol, former president Donald Trump, and pursue a profession in politics.

“I do consider I’m the Donald Trump of the UFC,” Covington stated. “He’s my largest function mannequin, he’s my mentor, and he’s somebody that I actually look as much as, so I try to mannequin my profession after numerous issues that he’s carried out.

“I undoubtedly wish to run for Congress in just a few years, I feel I’d be the proper fighter. I’m not a man that’s going to promote out to the institution. I’m a self-made man from nothing. I got here from a blue-collar household in Oregon who had completely nothing, who lived within the trailer parks, now I’m a multi-million greenback athlete, so I feel that I can do nice issues for this Republican and Conservative motion as a result of they don’t have the funds and means to do it. I admire the whole lot Donald Trump’s carried out for me, I’m a real believer, I’ll die preventing for that man.”

A lot of Covington’s rise from middle-of-the-pack fighter to pay-per-view headliner concerned him proudly declaring his fealty to Trump and the Republican occasion, whereas additionally infusing his promos and interviews with insults geared toward his rivals. He drew criticism after taking photographs at Edwards’ deceased father forward of their Dec. 16 principal occasion conflict, which ended with Covington shedding a unanimous determination.

The uninspiring efficiency has led to questions of whether or not Covington ought to take into account retirement, a chance that he has dominated out. Nevertheless, he seems ahead to the day that he’s carried out preventing within the cage and may probably work in direction of changing into the governor of Florida, the place he at present resides.

“I haven’t considered it as a result of I’m nonetheless a 100% within the UFC,” Covington stated. “I really feel like if you begin placing that one foot out and begin interested by what’s subsequent, then you must in all probability retire. You’re not nonetheless fully invested within the preventing. I nonetheless know I’m among the finest fighters on this planet. I simply went 5 rounds with the supposed champion, who was supposed to only fully decimate me and it was a really aggressive combat, may have went both manner.

“I do know that I’m greater than only a fighter although. I’m not only a fighter that exhibits up and fights within the octagon. That’s not all I can do, I’m smarter than that. I can use my thoughts, I’ve mind to have the ability to navigate the waters and get me the place I wish to go in life. I haven’t considered it. I do wish to get into politics in the future as a result of I wish to combat for what I consider in. I wish to get into Congress, perhaps Senate, perhaps one thing like that. Possibly be the Governor of Florida, that might be my final dream to be the governor of this state.”

Wherever Covington goes, he expects a phase of the fan base to observe him as he considers himself to be one in all MMA’s extra entertaining personalities. He’s not apologizing for any of the private assaults he directed at Edwards, particularly since he feels that he’s answerable for bringing consideration to their combat.

“I don’t assume I used to be beat final weekend,” Covington stated. “I feel I gained much more and the followers see the reality of the fighter and the marketer that I’m, the leisure side that I convey to the game. I make it enjoyable for the followers. They pay their hard-earned cash to look at us. So far as Leon, nobody was watching or tuning in to the combat to see Leon. It was both the those who completely love me or he was simply borrowing my haters for the evening. It wasn’t like he truly introduced in any further followers.”