LAS VEGAS – Leon Edwards has never put Colby Covington up on the pedestal of the UFC’s most deserving challengers, and that hasn’t changed after a months-long training camp.
Since he retained the title against Kamaru Usman in March, Edwards (21-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) has repeatedly expressed disinterest in Covington (17-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC), who he now faces Saturday at UFC 296.
“I think no one in this room knows why he’s fighting for a title. But we’re here now,” Edwards told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “The only thing that matters, all that matters, is Saturday night, going out there and taking him out and focusing fully on that. Whether he deserves it or not, it doesn’t matter, because he’s fighting anyway for the belt.
“… I don’t hate him. I don’t know him like that to hate him. I hate the character he’s playing. I find it strange that a grown-ass man is walking around with another grown-ass man (Donald Trump) on his clothes. It’s just a weird thing. I don’t get it. Plus I’m from different parts of the world than him. That’s his thing? That’s his thing, right? Fair play to him.”
Since Covington was announced as the next title challenger, much debate has centered around whether he deserves another crack at the title. Edwards isn’t impressed.
“He’s not as good as everyone thinks,” Edwards said. “He’s a guy who’s been stopped before by TKO, choked out before, and taken down before. There are many ways that you can beat him. He’s just a normal fighter that’s more scrappy, basically. Me and my team have come up with a great game plan to neutralize what he’s good at. My aim is to go out there and take him out.”
Covington has not competed since March 2022, though he’s long trashed and demeaned Edwards including the coining of the nickname “Leon Scott.” While WWE-esque antics could be a trap, Edwards said the exaggerated nature of what Covington makes it hard to take seriously.
“It’s easy (to brush off), to be fair, because I think everyone knows he’s playing a character, right?” Edwards said. “It’s easier to take someone like that as a joke. That’s what I’m able to do, take it for what it is. He’s a clown and I’ll treat him as such.”
As for what’s next beyond UFC 296, Edwards sees multiple options.
Belal Muhammad will weigh in as a backup fighter. Stephen Thompson, Ian Garry, Shavkat Rakhmonov and Vicente Luque also compete earlier at the same event.
“If I have to fight Belal, I’ll fight Belal. I’ve proven that I’m way better than him, anyway, just from that one round. If he’s next, I would happily engage in it and it’s fine. I believe that I’m going to fight them, anyway, so why not fight them all as a champion? Why not fight them all as a king, making money for it, making pay-per-views? Why not do it then? I want to fight them all anyway, so it doesn’t matter who’s next.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.
