After Khamzat Chimaev was forced out of his scheduled bout against Leon Edwards for a second time because of COVID-19, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President, Dana White, vowed to give “Rocky” a big fight. After all, this is now the third time that a scheduled bout between the two has been canceled.
Soon thereafter, White revealed that UFC matchmakers were looking to book Edwards against former interim Welterweight champion, Colby Covington, with the winner earning a shot at the title. While Edwards is all for it, he doesn’t believe that the feeling is mutual.
“I know for a fact that’s what the UFC is pushing for,” Edwards said in an interview with The Bash (transcribed by The Mac Life). “That’s what they’re putting to me, that’s what they’re putting to his team. Colby Covington, you can’t say what’s going to happen because he’s a weird, weird man.
“So it’s hard to say one hundred percent it’s going to happen,” he added. “I know the fight sounds good to me and my team. The UFC wants the fight. I don’t know, he might go running again. You never know. I’m ready to go, UFC’s ready to go, they’re pushing for the fight.”
According to “Rocky,” Covington — who hasn’t competed since defeating Tyron Woodley in Sept. 2020 — will try to avoid the fight at all costs.
“He doesn’t even want to say my name. So he probably doesn’t want to get these hands either. Who knows, he’s a weird, weird man. … If they do go down that route to making Masvidal vs. Usman, then where does he go? He has to fight me,” added Edwards. I’m number three ranked in the world. I’ll go out there, I’ll beat him and that’ll put me right in line for a title shot next this year.”
Usman did call for a rematch against Jorge Masvidal shortly after knocking out Gilbert Burns at UFC 258 (see it again here), a fight White and Co. seem to be on board with. If that fight does come to pass, there is seemingly no other option for Covington at the moment ... especially if he wants to get back to the big dance.
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