Ahead of their freestyle wrestling match at RAF 07 in Tampa, Florida, Dillon Danis sat down with The Schmo and shared his thoughts on Colby Covington’s recent political shift and his absence from the UFC White House card. During the conversation, Danis made it clear that he had expected a fiery promotional buildup between the two but felt that Covington’s recent change in tone altered the dynamic.
Speaking about Covington’s character and what he sees as a sudden turn toward a more likable persona, Danis expressed frustration with the situation. He said he initially welcomed the matchup because he believed it would create compelling back-and-forth promotion.
“I was excited taking this match because I was excited for the buildup,” Danis said. “I was like, I finally got a good dancing partner, someone that’s going to go back and forth with me and build up something huge. And then all of a sudden now he’s, I don’t know, I guess a good guy.”
Danis then drew a sharp distinction between his own approach to promotion and what he believes is Covington’s carefully crafted persona. He argued that Covington plays a role rather than speaking authentically, comparing him to another well-known figure in combat sports.
“I think Colby’s a fake character. He’s not really a bad guy. I’m actually a bad guy,” Danis said. “He’s like Chael. Chael’s a character. They practice their lines in the mirror. When I go to the press conference, I just go off of what I feel. He has a whole thing written up and he knows what he’s going to say.”
When the conversation shifted to Covington’s exclusion from the White House card, Danis offered his own theory about the situation, suggesting that the issue had less to do with public messaging and more to do with personal relationships behind the scenes.
“He definitely put on for Trump. He helped Trump when no one was supporting him,” Danis said. “He was wearing the MAGA hat and doing all that. Why he’s not actually on the White House card tomorrow is not because of what he is saying. That’s why he’s turning liberal now and going back to his actual roots and what he actually believes, and leaving the MAGA kind of slick that he had. He’s lying about why he’s not on the White House card.”
Danis went further, claiming that financial and personal disputes played a role in the fallout between Covington and certain political allies. He suggested that unresolved issues led to the breakdown in support.
“He had a falling out with some people and he owes some people money,” Danis said. “That’s the reasoning because they didn’t help him out when he needed them, and he helped them out when they needed him.”
Despite his criticism, Danis acknowledged that Covington’s past loyalty might have warranted inclusion on the event. He maintained that, from his perspective, Covington had earned that opportunity based on his public support.
“Respect to him, man. They should have put him on for the reasoning of how much he put on for them,” Danis said. “He was the only guy that was supporting Trump when no one was. So they should have, but he had a falling out with some people.”
When asked how he gathers information about situations like this, Danis offered a characteristically casual explanation, portraying himself as someone who stays informed through constant research.
“That’s why he doesn’t want to talk to me, because I always have background on everybody,” Danis said. “I got myself. I got my brain. I do research at night. I can’t sleep. Couple Zins, maybe a Red Bull, and I just do my research.”
