Coaches explain how Colby Covington has evolved since leaving ATT

Several of the coaches behind Colby Covington recently explained how the fighter has evolved since leaving American Top Team.

After spending almost the entirety of his career training at ATT in Coconut Creek, Florida, Covington parted ways with the gym earlier this year. He now trains at MMA Masters in Miami.

Ahead of Covington’s Saturday night fight with Tyron Woodley—his first contest since leaving ATT—Brazilian publication AgFight caught up with two of the welterweight contender’s new coaches at MMA Masters to get the lowdown on how he’s evolved.

“He has great wrestling, but he couldn’t have control on the ground, he didn’t put the hooks to finish,” said Covington head coach Daniel Valverde (via Google Translate). “We are working on it a lot now, mixing judo and wrestling. He changed these technical transitions on the floor. Before, he didn’t control from below, but now the guy is going to take the drop and stay there, ”said the coach, before highlighting his confidence in the new pupil.

“His head is wonderful, he is a born competitor,” Valverde added, forecasting more stoppage wins from Covington. “Now we have been able to correct some mistakes he made in his career. Woodley was never submitted or knocked out and this time it will be. He (Colby) is much more confident.”

Covington has apparently also made some significant strides in the stand-up department, according to MMA Masters striking coach Cesar Carneiro. In fact, Carneiro claims to have discovered that Covington is not actually a natural southpaw, despite always fighting out of that stance.

““He’s not a southpaw and we found that out,” Carneiro said. “He is right-handed, and in wrestling he puts his right leg in front to knock it down. In training we saw that he never felt comfortable making the right, so he didn’t knock anyone out. But now it has changed and everyone will see it. Before, he took the right and dropped his hand, so he took another one.” 

How do you think Colby Covington will look after his first camp at his new gym?