CHICAGO – On the brink of a shot at the UFC interim welterweight title, Colby Covington took up another fight – one between President Donald Trump and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Covington (13-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC), who meets ex-lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos (28-9 MMA, 17-7 UFC) at UFC 225, carried the president’s water in a spat with the Philadelphia Eagles over the national anthem.

“What a joke,” Covington opined to MMAjunkie about the Super Bowl champs’ decision not to attend en masse a congratulatory ceremony at the White House. “They live in the city of liberty, man – the liberty bell is right down the street. Their mascot is the eagle. That’s the American flag’s mascot.”

Trump on Monday rescinded an invitation to the Eagles to visit the White house, reportedly when the team couldn’t guarantee its players wouldn’t honor a new NFL policy to stand for the national anthem. In their place, Trump invited Eagles fans to a patriotic ceremony with the U.S. Marine Band.

On Tuesday, Eagles player Zach Ertz blasted Fox News for broadcasting a segment that implied they kneeled for the anthem, when, in fact, they were praying. The network later apologized.

Covington, who faces dos Anjos on the pay-per-view main card of Saturday’s event at United Center in Chicago, often apes Trump’s chief slogan during interviews, promising to “make the UFC welterweight division great again.” Trump’s latest drama offered nothing more than an opportunity to pay tribute.

“I’ve just gotta say that the Philadelphia Eagles suck,” he said. “I can’t wait to take the belt to the White House, to the Oval Office, and put it on Trump’s desk.”

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