Colby Covington might be the biggest "heel" in professional mixed martial arts, but he's also the UFC's undisputed No. 1 welterweight contender.
Covington (15-1) solidified the next shot at defending welterweight champion Kamaru Usman on Saturday, with a dominant, five-round performance against former champ Robbie Lawler. The 170-pound bout headlined UFC Fight Night at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
The polarizing welterweight never came close to a finish, but his furious work rate buried Lawler over the course of five rounds. All three judges scored it a shutout for Covington, via scores of 50-44, 50-45 and 50-45.
"I didn't buy a ticket to come see me, you bought a ticket to come see me," Covington told the crowd as it booed the result. "So shut up and let me finish my interview. Usman, I don't want to wait until [UFC 244 at] Madison Square Garden in November. We can do it right now. We can do it tonight."
Covington received support from Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, who were seated front row. Their father, President Donald Trump, also tweeted a message of support to Covington about one hour before his fight began.
After the bout, Covington, 31, referenced former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes' near-death experience in an automobile accident in 2017. Hughes is Lawler's former training partner and mentor.
"Let's talk about a lesson we learned tonight; it's a lesson Robbie Lawler should have learned from Matt Hughes," Covington said. "Get off the tracks when the train is coming."
Hughes later responded via an Instagram post.
Covington has made it a point to troll fans, media and potential foes for years. Those efforts have turned him into one of the most despised welterweights on the roster -- but inside the Octagon, he's been undeniably great.
According to ESPN FightCenter data, Covington attempted 541 total strikes in the 25-minute contest, as well as 18 takedowns. Lawler, by comparison, attempted 171 total strikes.
A former collegiate wrestler, Covington has neutralized many of his opponents with sheer pace, and that was the case Saturday. Lawler defended eight of Covington's 18 takedown attempts, and did a superb job of rolling with his punches, but the energy he was forced to spend on defense had a visible impact on his offensive output.
And seemingly for good measure, Covington landed a spinning backfist in the final moments of the fight, which opened a cut near Lawler's left eye.
Saturday marked Covington's first appearance since he won the UFC's interim title in a decision win against Rafael dos Anjos in June 2018. The UFC eventually stripped Covington of that title, when he said he was unavailable to accept a title fight within the company's preferred time frame. There is a history between Covington and Usman, which includes a brief public confrontation earlier this year in Las Vegas.
Lawler, 37, drops to 1-3 in his past four contests. He missed all of 2018 with a knee injury, and has lost both of his appearances since returning this year. He suffered a controversial submission defeat to Ben Askren five months ago at UFC 235.