Colby Covington and Leon Edwards
Colby Covington Expresses Concerns Over Leon Edwards Showing Up for Title Fight
Former UFC interim welterweight champion Colby Covington has voiced significant doubts about the willingness of the current full-fledged champion, Leon Edwards, to step into the Octagon with him for their scheduled showdown.
The highly anticipated matchup between Covington and Edwards is set to headline UFC 296, slated for December 16 in Las Vegas.
“The biggest concern here is whether Edwards will actually show up. He’s known for standing on the sidelines, requesting fight postponements, sometimes even asking for a year or two of delay before agreeing to fight. So, my main focus right now is whether he’s committed to stepping into that cage,” Covington stated.
Covington’s unwavering determination shines through as he asserts, “Regardless of the circumstances, come December 16th, I will be crowned champion. I’m fully committed to delivering the greatest and most thrilling bout for the UFC. This organization means the world to me, and I’m dedicated to serving it for the rest of my career,” as quoted by MMA Junkie.
Former UFC interim welterweight champion Colby Covington has voiced significant doubts about the willingness of the current full-fledged champion, Leon Edwards, to step into the Octagon with him for their scheduled showdown.
The highly anticipated matchup between Covington and Edwards is set to headline UFC 296, slated for December 16 in Las Vegas.
Former interim welterweight champion Colby Covington has cast doubts on whether Islam Makhachev is genuinely interested in a showdown with him.
Makhachev, the reigning lightweight titleholder, is set to defend his title against Charles Oliveira for the second time at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi later this month. Should he emerge victorious, Makhachev has expressed his desire to chase dual-champion status by taking on the welterweight division’s top fighters.
Covington is scheduled to challenge Leon Edwards for the welterweight strap in the headliner of UFC 296 on December 16 in Las Vegas. Makhachev responded to Covington’s callout by expressing his interest in facing him. However, Covington believes that Makhachev’s response is merely an attempt to garner attention and headlines.
Covington shared his skepticism with Submission Radio, saying, “You know, he’s just saying that to get a headline. He ain’t really going to come out here and fight. He’s another guy that he’s going to run his mouth, try and hype up a fight, but he’s never going to actually step up and do it. Khabib (Nurmagomedov) did the same thing. So, they know that American wrestling is the best. That Sambo sh*t don’t work. He would get worked like any day of the week in grappling or wrestling in America.”
Covington continued, “He’s over there, you know, playing with sheep, doing his thing over there. But that stuff doesn’t work. And yeah, it’s worked on guys in the lightweight class when you can just muscle them around. These are little kids. These are little boys. And none of them wrestle anyway. So now you got a real f*cking American wrestler, raw American steel, the highest regard. He knows what would happen. He could keep saying that he wants to fight, but I think when pen comes to paper, his manager’s going to hide him from me.”
Makhachev claimed the 155-pound belt at UFC 280 in October 2022 by dominating and submitting Oliveira. Meanwhile, Covington, a former interim champion, is determined to seize undisputed gold in his third title bid when he faces Edwards.
As the anticipation for UFC 296 builds, fans will be watching closely to see whether Makhachev and Covington’s war of words translates into an actual showdown inside the Octagon.
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