Sonnen Reveals He Almost Stopped Covington Fight
Sonnen Reveals He Nearly Stopped Covington Fight Himself
Tampa, FL - Chael Sonnen, cornerman for Colby Covington, revealed a startling detail about the UFC on ESPN 63 main event: he was prepared to throw in the towel himself before the doctor intervened and stopped Covington’s fight against Joaquin Buckley.
Covington suffered a gruesome laceration above his right eye early in the bout, leading to multiple stoppages for the doctor to assess the damage. The fight ultimately ended in a TKO (doctor stoppage) at the end of Round 3, with Buckley declared the victor.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Sonnen painted a vivid picture of the scene, describing the severity of Covington’s injury and his own growing concern.
“Colby was getting hit on his feet with everything you could do,” Sonnen recounted. “He’s busted open so bad that the doctor has to look at it three times. Twice, he stops the action to let it keep going.The third time, he goes, ‘We can’t keep going anymore.'”
Sonnen admitted he was already reaching for the towel, ready to stop the fight himself. ”When the doctor came in for the third time, and I’m watching that blood – it’s not stopping. It is indeed going into the eye, and that’s the only thing you’re really looking for,” he explained.
“When we as fight fans, we as tough guys, think the doctor should’ve stopped it – we’re talking about it doesn’t really matter how bad the cut is from our viewpoint, as long as it’s not going in the eye. If it’s blinding the guy, it doesn’t matter if it’s a little or a lot. If it’s in his eye and he can no longer see out of that eye, it’s the exact same thing. … This was bad, and it was in the eye. I said,‘Hand me that towel,I’m stopping this.'”
Covington vehemently disagreed with the stoppage, and UFC President Dana White echoed his sentiment, suggesting the fight might have continued had it taken place in Las Vegas.The controversial ending leaves fans debating whether the doctor made the right call. However, Sonnen’s account sheds light on the intensity of the situation and the challenging decision facing those in Covington’s corner.