UFC fighter Colby Covington has made no secret of his desire to join WWE in the future, and the controversial star has now given a timeline as to when wrestling fans can expect to see him make the transition to sports entertainment. During a recent interview with MMA Fighting , Covington revealed that his plan is to join WWE within the next year.
“I’m looking to go over to WWE and make wrestling real again in the near future. Until then I’m gonna be retiring all the old fogeys over here in the UFC. I would say probably 2021. Next summer, not this summer, but next summer.”
Covington is a big fan of pro wrestling and some pundits believe that he’s essentially playing a WWE-like character in UFC. He uses Kurt Angle’s theme music for his own entrance, and his outspoken support of Donald Trump and propensity to trash talk all of his opponents is reminiscent of a wrestling heel.
Covington is also good friends with WWE superstar Bobby Lashley, and reportedly has a great relationship with Angle and Paul Heyman. However, it remains to be seen if WWE will be keen on signing the welterweight star, since the modern product is apolitical, and Covington is known for sharing divisive political conservative viewpoints on a regular basis.
Like @POTUS @realDonaldTrump always says: Promises made. Promises kept. Pleasure to finally meet you Mr. President. Thank you for always putting America first! #maga #GreatAmericanWinningMachine ?? pic.twitter.com/yYZWkdd5wS
— Colby Covington (@ColbyCovMMA) August 2, 2018
Covington believes that his polarizing nature will make him a success in sports entertainment. People either love or hate him, so he’s guaranteed to get a passionate reaction from the WWE Universe if his planned move happens.
“I know how to entertain so I think it’s gonna be a smooth transition when I go to the WWE in 2021.”
Covington also appears to view WWE as a short-term goal that will allow him to make some big money. During the interview, he opened up about some of his plans for when he joins the company, saying that he won’t be there to make friends and is only interested in a short-term deal.
However, Covington did insist that he respects pro wrestling and Vince McMahon, praising the WWE chairman for his business acumen. He also claims that he’s been working on his in-ring and promo skills, because he wants to make an instant impact when he finally makes the move.
Covington is still under contract with the UFC, so if he does join WWE, he’ll either have to be released from his deal or come to an agreement with UFC president Dana White.
