A separate source told FloCombat Werdum was alleging that he didn't actually punch Covington but instead only knocked his phone out of his hand.
Werdum himself doubled down on that notion.
"This guy is really audacious," Werdum told FloCombat. "I went down with my master [Rafael Cordeiro]: 'Master, let's get a hair cut and shave the beard.' We were in the lobby, and I've never seen this guy before. When I walked he looked at me and said: 'Brazilian animals.' And I was like: 'Hey.' I slapped his phone and asked, 'What did you say?' Then, he kicked my leg, but I managed to defend. Then the guys got in the middle and had nothing left. But he kicked me, he is audacious. I could have hurt myself.
"I don't know why he insists on this mistake of speaking of the Brazilians... I didn't understand. [...] He wants media, wants to imitate Conor McGregor. He looks like ridiculous the way he does. I didn't believe when he said it. I didn't believe it. I slapped his phone and he stepped back and kicked me. Then we were arguing, and he kept shouting that Brazilians were animals.
"If I had hit him in the face, he would be in the hospital. Certainly. There was no punch, he's crazy."
Video captured by UFC lightweight Dan Hooker also suggests Werdum did not punch Covington. Rather, he hit him with a boomerang.
Seriously.