A Wednesday interview featuring host Miesha Tate and guest Colby Covington on quickly devolved into a bitter verbal spat, ending in the former UFC interim welterweight champion getting banned from a satellite radio show.

Speaking on the “MMA Tonight” show on Sirius XM, Covington lashed out at Tate after she questioned his approach to promoting last weekend’s UFC on ESPN 5 main event against Robbie Lawler.

Tate wanted to know why Covington had labeled Lawler as a “legend” when he’d verbally attacked his other opponents. That prompted Covington to accuse Tate of talking behind his back in previous interviews.

“It gets back to me,” Covington said. “All the people say how (you say) negative thoughts about me, and how I’m this and that. I just think it’s very hypocritical, because I don’t think you’re a perfect person. You might have some skeletons in your closet, as well.”

Tate, the former UFC bantamweight champion, said she’d never wavered in her low opinion of trash talk in the sport, and said she wasn’t attacking Covington personally. But the UFC’s No. 1 UFC welterweight contender went for the jugular, calling Tate a hypocrite who “got famous off losing to my girl Ronda Rousey” and “putting pictures on the internet.”

Covington claimed Tate had called his approach “disgusting” and unfit for Asia’s ONE Championship, where she serves as a vice president.
Tate corrected Covington by attributing those words to her boss, ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong.

Tate said she felt “disrespected” by Covington’s outburst.

“I don’t even know what to say right now,” she said. “It’s kind of crazy that you would go on that level just because I have an opinion, that you as an American should have respect for the fact that at least I have the balls to say it to your face, and that’s my opinion, and I’m entitled to it. I did not put you down as a person. You put me down as a person.”

Covington countered that he was defending himself against Tate’s attacks before show co-host Ryan McKinnell confronted Covington.

“You realize that that’s part of her job description right? She’s transitioned to being an analyst to give her thoughts on the sport,” McKinnell said. “You are a part of the sport. You make headlines for controversy, and you also made headlines for the exciting fights you put on like you did Saturday? It’s not a personal vendetta against Colby Covington.”

Covington defended his words as the natural response to being verbally attacked and pointed to the support he received from President Donald Trump and his sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, the latter two of whom attended the Covington’s victory over Lawler live in Newark, N.J.

“I’m not going to sugarcoat things,” he said. “I’m telling you how it is, because I’m a real person. I’m not going to act like I’m not going to talk about it, when hey, you guys want to talk about me, here I am to defend myself.”

But McKinnell challenged Covington over past calls for civility, pointing out his response to legitimate questions were anything but civil. He took the former interim champ to task for referencing leaked nude photos of Tate and implying they were released intentionally.

“That’s a low blow,” he said. “That’s personal.”

“I came on the show to give you the best ratings you’re ever going to get,” Covington said.

“Like the best ratings that UFC on ESPN got, which was the lowest-rated UFC on ESPN ever?” McKinnell spat.

Covington fired a few more verbal jabs at the radio hosts, calling them “jobbers” before McKinnell said the fighter would never again appear on the show.