All signs point towards Colby Covington stepping in and competing for the welterweight title next time out, and despite many believing he is undeserving of the opportunity, the controversial grappler has offered an explanation to the contrary.
Leon Edwards managed to defend his title and end his three-fight rivalry with Kamaru Usman last time out. Despite the division being stacked with potential contenders, it remains unclear who the champion will put his throne on the line against next, though there are a number of standouts who are viable for the fight.
While discussing rumors of him getting the next shot at welterweight gold, Colby Covington detailed exactly why he is worthy of a chance to face the champion over the other challengers in his division:
“Look at my resume, man. All my last fights, they’re not just contenders I’ve been beating, I’ve been beating first-ballot Hall-of-Famers. All my last fights, five world champions I’ve beaten in my last fights. Headlining pay-per-views, selling fights, no one wants to see anybody more in the division than they want to see me fight. Colby ‘Chaos’ Covington is the welterweight division and I can’t wait to get my undisputed title this summer.”
While he is, of course, one of the standout fighters in the 170lb division, Covington hasn’t won back-to-back fights since his run of seven straight wins. The most recent victory in that streak came in 2019.
Wins over Tyron Woodley and Jorge Masvidal, alongside two losses against Kamaru Usman, make up the NCAA Division I wrestler’s last four fights. This is a major reason why some fans aren’t convinced that he deserves a title shot.
Check out what Colby Covington had to say about his title chances in the video below.
What did Leon Edwards say about Colby Covington’s imminent title shot?
After weighing in as a backup for the bout between Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman last time out, Colby Covington was praised by Dana White who insisted he would be given the next title shot.
Although he’s open to all challengers, ‘Rocky’ wasn’t a huge advocate of ‘Chaos’ being next in line for his belt and has made his thoughts known on numerous occasions.
Edwards isn’t a fan of Covington’s inactivity and believes he needs to earn a shot at his championship rather than wait on the sidelines for his opportunity to arise as he seemingly has done.