American Top Team (ATT) has suffered a big loss as former UFC Interim Welterweight Champion Colby Covington has departed the famed fight team.
Covington says that he left ATT and is now a member of the newly formed Colby Covington Inc.
“I’m not a member of American Top Team in Coconut Creek,” Covington told James Lynch of The Score (via Danny Segura of MMA Junkie). “I’m a member of Colby Covington, Inc. I’m a member of Colby Covington business and Colby Covington team. You can now direct your complaints at me. All the people going to Dan Lambert and American Top Team directing their complaints, up in their feelings: ‘I’m a pro fighter, but I’m going to going to Dan Lambert. “Hey, Dan, I don’t want to fight him in the cage because I know I can’t beat him, but can you protect my precious little feelings?”‘”
There were rumors that Covington had left ATT after his image was removed from their website earlier this week.
Despite departing ATT, one person that Covington has immense respect for is ATT founder Dan Lambert.
“I respect Dan Lambert more than anything in the world – that guy will have my respect till the day I die,” Covington said. “I owe that guy everything. He gave me an opportunity nine years ago to come train at his gym full-time, have food, money and a place to live. He never left me out in the cold. He always gave me the opportunity. So I’m very thankful for my time there. He’s still a friend, he’s still a mentor, but I fulfilled my debts there. We won together a world title, but I was also able to do something for him that no other fighter is going to do – and that’s take him to the White House. So we had a great relationship together. He did a lot for me and I’m grateful I was able to give him something back.”
The fighter also revealed to James Lynch that he will keep a lot of past training partners and coaches around, despite leaving ATT.
