If he becomes champion by defeating Leon Edwards, Colby Covington could face Islam Makhachev in his first title defense.
Dana White announced yesterday, Leon Edwards and Colby Covington will face each other during the main event of UFC 296, on December 16. The fight between the two men had been in the pipeline for several months, it is now official. On several occasions, Covington aka ‘Chaos’ did not mince his words towards Leon Edwards. Besides, he thinks he can finalize the reigning welterweight champion during UFC 296. Colby Covington thinks no one in the division deserves a title fight. So, if he becomes king, the American will target lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
Colby Covington vs. Islam Makhachev
“I think of Islam Makhachev,” Covington said in an interview with James Lynch. “He’s fighting in a little man category, against little dwarves and he barely beats them, with split decisions… It’s just pathetic. This little Mongolian spoke, he said he wanted to move up to a division of real men and face a real man, the champion of America. It’s a great fight and I think it’s a fight the fans want to see. »
“There are a lot of holes in his game,” Covington continued. “He talks a lot, he tries to take advantage of the success of Khabib (former lightweight champion, editor’s note) and what he was able to accomplish. He’s not Khabib, it’s not the same thing. Khabib was afraid of me, he didn’t want to move up to welterweight because of me. Even his father knows it’s not wise to move up to welterweight. »
“But he continues to talk to Hunter Campbell, Dana White and the UFC. We can’t know what will happen. He said some things behind the scenes, so let’s see if he’s a man of his word…February, March, I want to fight three or four times next year,” Covington concluded.
17-3 In total, Colby Covington has 17 victories and 3 defeats in professional MMA. The 35-year-old American is ranked second in the welterweight category, and has already failed twice in a title fight. In 2019, he suffered a 5th round TKO in his first duel with then-champion Kamaru Usman, and suffered a unanimous decision loss to the same opponent in 2021.
