Alexander Volkanovski has urged Leon Edwards to put a hurting on Colby Covington at UFC 296 following the American’s comments about the champion’s late father.
During the pre-fight press conference, ‘Chaos’ almost incited a brawl onstage after saying the following:
“I’m bringing you to the seventh layer of hell, we’ll say what’s up to your dad while we’re there.”
Watch the video below from 1:00:
‘Rocky’ has spoken openly about his father and his criminal ties, both in Jamaica where Edwards was born, and in England, where he moved as a child. The welterweight champion also lost his father as a teenager due to gang-related activities.
Covington’s comments about Edwards’ late father did not sit well with MMA fans, who took to social media to blast the title challenger.
Volkanovski did not approve of the American’s remarks either and shared the following message with Edwards backstage:
“Fix that f***ing piece of s**t up. Get into him!”
The build-up to UFC 296 was kicked up a gear following Covington’s choice words, and the anticipation heading into the final fight of the UFC’s 2023 calendar could not be higher.
Alexander Volkanovski predicts Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington
Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington will cap off an incredible pay-per-view card, and fans can expect a thrilling contest for as long as it lasts.
‘Chaos’ will be returning to action after almost two years, with his last bout coming in March 2022. In that time, Edwards faced Kamaru Usman for a second and third time, defeating him on both occasions.
Alexander Volkanovski recently shared his thoughts on the UFC 296 main event and pointed to Edwards’ training for his two recent fights with Usman as a key factor against ‘Chaos’.
Covington will likely employ a grappling-heavy game plan, something that Edwards has spent the past two training camps preparing for.
During a recent YouTube video, ‘The Great’ said:
“But, I believe Leon is in so much better condition and he is in a way better position than even when he was in that last fight.”
Volkanovski continued:
“I guarantee you you’re going to see a better version of Leon this weekend. He’s going to be more dangerous on the feet, he’s going to be even better in the takedown defense… Leon Edwards learnt so much from these last fights with someone like Usman.”
Watch the video below (8:00):