Dana White admitted to reporters that he feels if Colby Covington fought Joaquin Buckley in Las Vegas, the cut over his eye wouldn’t have led to a stoppage. With that said, he didn’t exactly see Covington protest the decision (via MMAJunkie).

“Listen, Colby’s an older guy that fights every once in a while,” White told MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight at UFC on ESPN 63. “He’s always durable and he’s always tough. … I also feel like Colby wasn’t too pissed that fight got stopped by the cut. It was definitely bothering him.

“It was definitely bothering him, and as soon as the corner would fix it, he would walk back out and rips it open again and makes it start bleeding again. That alone tells you that the cut was bothering him big time.”

Where Covington goes from here will be a story to watch in 2025. The former interim titleholder will turn 37 years old in February. He’ll have to decide if he wants to continue his career or move on to a new chapter in his life. He has teased transitioning to the world of professional wrestling in the past.