VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Two years ago, UFC middleweight Antonio Carlos Junior did a solid for American Top Team co-founder Dan Lambert and helped Colby Covington.

Covington was preparing for a pivotal fight against Demian Maia and needed to brush up on his jiu-jitsu. Carlos Junior, a grappling specialist, was the right guy at the right time. Covington beat Maia to put himself in title contention – and alienated much of Brazil with his trashtalk.

Since then, Carlos Junior has watched his training partner’s words alienate more and more people at ATT, including longtime friend Jorge Masvidal. There’s been so much drama, he hasn’t even been able to keep up with all of it as he nears a UFC on ESPN+ 16 fight with Uriah Hall.

“I don’t know what’s happened, and I don’t really want to know now,” Junior said with a laugh.

Carlos Junior said he doesn’t have any problems with Covington, personally. But if he had to give the ex-interim champ some advice, it would be to pull back the reins – a lot.

“I think it’s bad for him,” Junior told told reporters, including MMA Junkie, after an open workout for his bout Saturday at Rogers Arena. “I think we should be a team. We should train together and everybody respect each other. That’s what we should do, and he’s not doing that. He’s the only one that’s going to lose.”

A few hours before Junior stepped in front of microphones, Masvidal appeared on “The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz” to address the Covington saga. He said he was hurt his former training partner would trash-talk him and said their fallout came after Covington stiffed one of his coaches.

Masvidal added if the two ever cross paths, Covington will avoid him.

Carlos Junior’s schedule hasn’t been disrupted by the polarizing fighter, at least not yet. He believes Covington’s grudges are part real and part manufactured. He’s got his own battles to worry about.

Covington, meanwhile, has lost a guaranteed title shot against champ Kamaru Usman amid another contractual squabble with the UFC. He’s currently unscheduled for his next fight.

“He’s fighting with everybody; he talks about everybody,” Carlos Junior said. “I don’t really have a problem with him. I’m a Brazilian; he talked (expletive) about Brazil, but I don’t really care. I know about my country; I know about our problems, and the good things we have. I think this is bad for him, because he’s not going to find many training partners.”

Carlos Junior (10-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) faces Uriah Hall (14-9 MMA, 7-7 UFC) at Saturday’s event, which streams in its entirety on ESPN+.

To hear more from Carlos Junior, check out the video above.