MMA fighter Colby Covington expressed his hopes to face Leon Edwards at UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden, after a previous booking in London fell apart, and claims that he has been named the No. 1 contender by UFC President Dana White.
Colby Covington expressed his hope to face Leon Edwards at UFC 295 on November 11th at the Madison Square Garden, following the falling apart of a booking in London. Colby revealed his conversations with UFC President Dana White about this prospective match during a dinner in Miami. He claimed that Edwards denied his fans a homely and spectacular pay-per-view, instead choosing to proceed with a rather disappointing Fight Night card for the weekend. He expressed his sympathies for the London fans who were the victims of this decision.
Covington added that the last correspondence he had from UFC executive, Hunter Campbell, indicated that he would get his title shot around August or September. He was confident about receiving the title shot and speculated that there could be certain other issues on the part of Edwards, such as potential injury or a need for more time to prepare. Covington firmly stated his belief that the fight will definitely take place, although definitely not in Abu Dhabi. He seemed perplexed at the very idea of it.
Speaking about the tension preceding his possible showdown with Edwards, Covington disclosed that Edwards initially desired to defend his belt in October, at UFC 294. Edwards had previously stepped down from the UFC London card to allow more time for recovery from his trilogy with Kamaru Usman at UFC 286. Fortunately, Covington was chosen as the backup fighter for that bout and was subsequently declared the No. 1 contender by Dana White. Covington also mentioned that UFC stars Dustin Poirier and Khamzat Chimaev were the suggested options prior to his consignment to the backup role. He disgruntledly admitted that both had refused to fight him.
Following this turn of events, Covington did not resist airing his frustration with Poirier and Chimaev in numerous interviews, leading to verbal spats with them in the media. He also claimed that he had agreed to accept every fight offer coming his way, first with Dustin and then with Chimaev. He accused Poirier of evading the fight, despite the potential of a big fight, and Chimaev of being unprofessional and scared. Undeterred, Covington insisted that he was ready to move on, even hoping to be picked for The Ultimate Fighter, a decision that he lost to Conor McGregor. If things do not proceed as per his plan with Edwards, Covington warned Edwards that there is limited time to postpone. “I just don’t see it being pushed back [past] December in Vegas,” he stated, threatening that Edwards could face the title being taken off him if he delays any further.