Colby Covington made a surprise appearance in London on Friday morning as he weighed in as a backup fighter for the UFC 286 main event.
Covington is on standby to replace either Leon Edwards or Kamaru Usman if either of the welterweights pull out of their title clash on Saturday night, which takes place in front of the sold-out O2 arena. Covington hasn't fought since winning a one-sided decision against former friend turned bitter rival Jorge Masvidal over a year ago and his appearance in the English capital even came as. a surprise to Edwards and Usman.
At their press conference on Thursday, the welterweight rivals were asked whether they knew if Covington was serving as a backup for their title fight. Edwards insisted that he was unaware Covington was in London, stating:. "First thing I've heard of it, I don't know."
Usman was also baffled by the question as he said: "That's the first I've heard of that." Both Edwards and Usman hit the 170lb mark for their title fight whilst Covington also stepped on the scale at 170lb, meaning he is ready to replace either fighter if they withdraw and will be eligible to win the welterweight title.
Covington has already fought Usman twice before, losing both times against his rival to miss out on winning the welterweight title. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' knocked out Covington in the final round of their first meeting in December 2019 but their rematch in November 2021 was closer as Usman won by just one round on two judges scorecards.
Who wins the main event of UFC 286 - Leon Edwards or Kamaru Usman? Let us kniw your prediction in the comments section below
Covington, who sits at No.2 in the welterweight rankings, has never met Edwards in the cage. It's unlikely that Covington's services will be needed at UFC 286 with both Edwards and Usman looking in good shape on the scale.
The rivals have shared a heated rivalry before their trilogy fight as Usman mocked Edwards' Brummie accent by telling him: "The fans care about London bruv, they care about London. They don't give a s*** about you, they can understand me with my accent more than they can understand you!"
