UFC welterweight Colby Covington almost had a run-in with an ex-training partner at the UFC Performance Institute this week.
Covington, a polarizing figure in mixed martial arts, isn’t short on enemies amassed throughout his career. From American Top Team fighters like Dustin Poirier and Jorge Masvidal to former opponents in Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards, “Chaos” has his fair share of detractors in the sport.
With that in mind, being in places swarming with fighters like the UFC PI no doubt always runs the risk of the 37-year-old bumping into a hostile face. And that’s exactly what happened during a recent Twitch stream on Covington’s channel.
Footage was spread on social media showing “Chaos” turning a corner into a training area before glancing back at his cameraman. After a concerned look, the former interim titleholder quickly bolted and headed elsewhere.
His swift exit was due to the presence of Themba Gorimbo, a former training partner of his at MMA Masters.
Colby Covington nearly ran into former teammate Themba Gorimbo at UFC PI
@ColbyCovMMA
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— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) March 4, 2025
Gorimbo, who also competes in the UFC welterweight division, previously sung the praises of Covington. While teammates in Florida, “The Answer” lauded his peer for helping him during a time of need during his early days in the promotion.
Coincidentally, Gorimbo puts their falling out down to an incident at the UFC PI. He accused Covington of ‘kicking’ him out while he was using a treadmill so that he could cut weight without company for his UFC 296 title fight.
The Zimbabwean subsequently left MMA Masters and switched to Xtreme Couture.
