Colby Covington will challenge Leon Edwards for the welterweight title at UFC 296. Covington is a fantastic fighter and has beaten a lot of exceptional talent throughout his career. The American will look to capture his first undisputed UFC championship. Of course, if he wins the belt, he will have to defend it, and recently, Covington has talked about his plans after winning the belt, which includes a potential showdown with Islam Makhachev.
Colby Covington Vs Leon Edwards
It will be an exciting clash between Covington and Edwards as they are both sensational fighters at the top of the welterweight division. Covington is known for his pressure-based style and controversial persona. He has an exceptional wrestling pedigree and usually exploits that during his fights. However, Covington’s best attribute is arguably his cardio, as the American has learnt to weaponise it. He enters the contest with a professional record of 17-3 with eight finishes. The American fighter will try to take Edwards down as that is where his advantage lies. Covington will look to capture the title and finally become the undisputed king of the welterweight division.
Covington Wants Makhachev
Of course, if you win a championship, you have to defend it. The welterweight division has a lot of significant challenges for the champion to take on. For example, fighters like Kamaru Usman, Belal Muhammed, and Gilbert Burns compete in the division. However, in an interview with James Lynch, Covington said he wanted to fight current lightweight champion Makhachev.
“Neither he nor anybody else is deserving. He’s a racist… There’s that little mongul, and he’s been talking a little bit saying he wants to come up and fight in a real man’s division, because cause he’s at a little boy’s weight class,” Colby Covington said to James Lynch. “I’m talking about Islam Makhachev. He’s fighting in a little man’s weight class, fighting little midgets, and barely beating midgets, split decisions, and split draws. It’s just pathetic. That little mongul has been saying he wants to come up to a real man division and face a real man in America’s champ. That might present itself as well. I think that’s a big super fight, and I think that’s a fight the fans want to see.”
Covington On Makhachev
Covington has thought about a potential matchup with Makhachev as he spoke with Lynch about the holes in the champion’s game.
“A lot of holes in his game. He’s talked a big game; he’s trying to ride the coattails of Khabib’s success and what he could accomplish. He’s not Khabib, and it’s not the same thing. Khabib was scared of me; he didn’t want to come up to welterweight because of me. Even his daddy knows it’s not smart to go up to welterweight,” Covington said.
“He keeps talking a big game to Hunter Campbell, Dana White, and the UFC. There’s no telling what’s going to happen. He’s said some things behind the scenes, so let’s see if he’s a man of his word… We could turn it right around in March. The first quarter of next year, maybe February, maybe my early birthday gift. February, March, I want to fight three (or) four times next year,” Covington concluded.
All quotes via BJPenn
It would be exciting to see who Covington would decide to defend his belt against. However, he mustn’t look past Edwards.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
