Colby Covington (via Getty Images)
Two of the biggest names in UFC today once shared a small college room and a close friendship. Colby Covington and Jon Jones lived together during their time at Iowa Central Community College.
Both were part of the wrestling program and even shared bunk beds. At that time, they were young athletes chasing similar dreams in combat sports. Their bond appeared strong, built on training, competition, and daily college life.However, their relationship did not remain the same. Over time, things began to change, especially in their final year at college. Covington has now opened up about what caused the shift.
He claims that Jones’ alleged use of banned substances played a major role in damaging their friendship. According to Covington, the changes in Jones’ behavior created tension between them, turning a friendly living situation into a difficult one.
Roommates turned rivals after Jon Jones alleged behavior change
Speaking in an interview with Daniel Cormier, Colby Covington recalled their early days as roommates. He explained that they shared a bunk bed setup, with Jon Jones sleeping on the top bunk while he took the bottom due to his habit of sleepwalking.
At first, everything between them was normal, and they got along well as teammates and friends.
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But Covington said things changed in his final year. He claimed that Jones started using testosterone in an attempt to gain size and strength, as he wanted to move up from 197 pounds to heavyweight. According to Covington, this decision had a noticeable impact on Jones’ personality.Covington described how Jones would suddenly become irritated over small and unimportant issues.
He said even minor things, like leaving shoes near the door, would lead to angry reactions and would cause an unnecessary argument between them. He suggested that these mood swings were linked to the substances Jones was allegedly using at the time.Covington further insisted that these incidents were real and not exaggerated. He pointed to Jones’ past failed drug tests as support for his claims. According to him, Jones had already started down that path during college in an effort to gain a physical advantage.These comments have once again brought attention to Jones’ controversial past, while also shedding light on a lesser-known chapter of his early life.
