Ali Abdelaziz suggests a fight between Colby Covington and Leon Edwards at UFC 262
Athlete manager and Dominance MMA CEO Ali Abdelaziz has hinted towards a fight between Colby Covington and Leon Edwards for UFC 262. Upon receiving news of an undisclosed injury sustained by Nate Diaz, the UFC has pushed the former's previously scheduled bout against Edwards to a later date.
While UFC president Dana White has been affirmative of Covington being next in line for champion Kamaru Usman, Ali Abdelaziz believes a win over Edwards would help seal the deal. Taking to his Twitter account to list his opinion, he said:
"Colby Covington chance to make himself number one contender"
What happened during Leon Edwards' last fight?
After going on a two-year hiatus from the sport, Leon Edwards hoped to make his return to extend his impressive eight-fight win streak with the promotion. He faced Belal Muhammad at UFC Vegas 21 on March 13, 2021. However, during the bout with Muhammad, an accidental eye poke deemed the 32-year old Palestinian unfit to continue. Following the bizarre end to the contest, 'Rocky' once again seemed in desperate need of a fight.
Leon Edwards was then given the opportunity to face the returning Nate Diaz. Initially slated to take place as a co-headliner at UFC 262, Leon Edwards and Nate Diaz seemed ready to put on a thrilling show for their fans. However, with recent news of the bout being pushed to UFC 263, Leon Edwards was once again left without a fight.
Recognizing the opportunity, manager Ali Abdelaziz spoke out on social media, effectively suggesting a fight between Colby Covington and Leon Edwards. However, following Kamaru Usman's stunning knockout victory against Jorge Masvidal at UFC 261, UFC president Dana White confirmed that Colby Covington would be next in line.
“It’s the fight to make. He’s the No. 1 (contender) in the world. Usman’s thing was, he didn’t want him to be the backup. He’s like, ‘I want Masvidal, then I want a camp, then I’ll take (Covington) again. I’m going to start lapping these guys.'”
While the bout between Leon Edwards and Nate Diaz has been postponed for UFC 263, do you think 'Rocky' can squeeze in a fight against Covington? If he does, though, he may be declared unfit to fight Diaz in their upcoming contest.
Would you rather watch Edwards vs. Covington or Edwards vs. Diaz? Tell us in the comment section below!