If you've ever found yourself thinking, even for a second, "I wouldn't mind seeing this Colby Covington kid lose," -- there's something you should probably know.
He's got you right where he wants you.
There's a new wave of talent in the UFC's welterweight division, and one can argue Covington (12-1) is the best of them all. He'll be seeking his eighth UFC win on Saturday, against former two-time title challenger Demian Maia at UFC Fight Night in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
It's an obvious "villain" spot for Covington, facing a well-liked Brazilian veteran in his hometown. But lately, Covington has taken on the role of a villain everywhere he goes, which he likes.
"The hate is so much fun," Covington told ESPN. "The emotion that I'm drawing from people, they actually want to see me die. That's training fuel for me.
"I like being hated. Sure, it's cool to hear, 'You're the best, you're going to knock this guy out in 10 seconds,' but at the end of the day, you still have to go out and fight. I'd rather have hate to be honest. I like to hear people say, 'I want you to get knocked out.' That pushes me in the gym."
Why would anyone want to see Covington, a 29-year-old former collegiate wrestler, get knocked out? Well...
This week alone, Covington has referred to Maia's hometown as a "dump" and promised to send him into retirement. He's launched an oftentimes-NSFW verbal campaign against current champion Tyron Woodley, who he's trained with previously in South Florida.
Covington says the villain role extends back to his collegiate career, which was spent between Iowa and Oregon State. He switched colleges due to off-the-mat issues, and says he regularly taunted his opponents and the crowd, en route to winning multiple Pac-10 championships.
Thus far, he's done a terrific job of backing up the abrasive talk. That could be difficult against Maia (25-7), who is not only elite, but hard to look against due to his grappling style.
This summer, Woodley defended his title against Maia via decision, but was criticized by fans (and UFC president Dana White) for a cautious game plan. Covington says that won't be an issue for him.
"I'm coming with a completely different game plan from Tyron," Covington said. "He's playing the safe game. Look at the way the guy fights. He backs up, backs up. There's no sense of urgency. When I fight Demian Maia on Saturday, I will fight with a sense of urgency.
"There's a risk in fighting him that way, but with big risk comes big reward. I'm only looking to get a title shot. I don't care what Dana White has said about Rafael dos Anjos, who is past his time, or Robbie Lawler, who has taken too many hits to the head. Dana has said one of them is next but I feel like, with a win over Maia, I'll be next for Woodley."
And as far as that new wave of talent in the 170-pound division -- featuring names like Darren Till, Mike Perry, Kamaru Usman and Santiago Ponzinibbio -- Covington says don't even include his name in that group.
"Those guys are newcomers and gatekeepers," Covington said. "Those are the kids of the division. I'm the man of the division."