LONDON – Colby Covington is eyeing welterweight champion Leon Edwards for a July showdown.
Covington was in attendance for Edwards’ (21-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) majority decision win over Kamaru Usman (20-3 MMA, 15-2 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 286 headliner at The O2.
Covington (17-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) weighed in as a backup and expects to be next in line for a title shot.
“I didn’t see anything special,” Covington said during the UFC 286 broadcast. “I see a guy that isn’t hungry anymore. It looks like he got the title and he made his money, and he’s kind of cashed out. Of course he’s going to get some home-cooking judging. He got his little home affair. Now it’s time to come see the man – the real champion, the people’s champion, the king of Miami, and the most important title: Donald Trump’s favorite fighter.”
Although he was deducted a point for grabbing the fence, Edwards was able to outstrike Usman and fend off the majority of his takedowns – which Covington took notice of while watching the fight.
“You could tell he’s been working on that,” Covington said. “It’s been a focal point of his, but he hasn’t fought anybody like me, who can mix up the takedowns and the wrestling in a southpaw. You can tell Usman came out and he fought him southpaw that first round. You could tell he was having a lot of trouble. He didn’t like that.
“Leon Scott is very good when he’s fighting guys who are orthodox. He has his left kick and his left hand. That’s his favorite punch and his favorite kick. Now, he’s going to fight a guy who’s going to be in his face, a southpaw. Styles make fights and I’m going to finish him on home soil in America, hopefully, International Fight Week in July. Let’s get this going.”
Covington hasn’t competed since a dominant decision win over Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272 last March. The former interim welterweight champion is confident that he has the style to beat Edwards.
“The matchup looks amazing,” Covington said. “I love fighting southpaws. I’ve never lost to a southpaw. I’ve fought some great southpaws in my day. I just match up really well with them. The matchup is good. I can beat him everywhere. I can beat him striking. I can beat him wrestling. I can beat him jiu-jitsu.
“I’ve got the fire in my soul right now. I’m hungrier than I’ve ever been in my life and I’m really coming into my prime. I’m not just saying this. This is how I feel and this is what I know. This summer, you’re going to see Colby ‘Chaos’ 2.0. You’re going to see a show you’ve never seen before. I’m coming to get that belt. Mark my words.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 286.
