The former UFC interim welterweight champion Colby Covington recently courted controversy, as usual. Yesterday, at the UFC 296 pre-fight press conference, he drew widespread criticism from the MMA community after speaking ill of Leon Edwards’ late father, who was murdered when the Englishman was still a child.
One of the most prominent members of the MMA community who took issue with ‘Chaos’ was reigning UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland.
At a promotional press conference meant to draw interest for the UFC 297 card in January, ‘Tarzan’ expressed the full breadth of his enmity for the Oregon born fighter.
“Him making fun of Leon’s dad. That is the biggest f***ing c**t move you can do. That is the biggest c*nt move you do. Leon’s mom, dad, bad guy, good guy, doesn’t f***ing matter. She raised a boy to be a f***ing man, to win a title, to be a good man, and a real f***ing American would applaud him for that. They wouldn’t tear him down for that. So just so you know, Colby is a fake f***ing p**sy, and if he was standing here right next to me, the only f***ing thing he would do is call 911 because he is the definition of a f***ing b**ch.”
There is no love lost between the two men, with Colby Covington having recently criticized Strickland for his past misogynistic remarks. With both men separated by just one weight class, a future clash inside the octagon isn’t completely out of the cards. In fact, ‘Chaos’ himself has alluded to it.
Check out Sean Strickland expressing his thoughts on Colby Covington in the clip below:
Colby Covington’s recent UFC record
While Colby Covington is often celebrated as potentially the second-best welterweight on the UFC roster, some have called that distinction into question. The 35-year-old has no wins over anyone currently ranked in the welterweight top 10, which was a point of contention between him and Leon Edwards.
The Englishman didn’t feel he deserved a title shot after being 2-2 in his last four fights, with his only wins being over retired fighters who left the sport on losing streaks. Furthermore, his only UFC wins thus far are against retired fighters, a lightweight, and unranked fighters.