"Who are you going to put with Colby?"- Chael Sonnen plays matchmaker for Colby Covington to get him out of a "tough spot" in the current welterweight landscape
Colby Covington has not fought in nearly six months since defeating Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272. According to UFC President Dana White, Covington is ready to return, however, he is in a tough position with no clear cut opponent. MMA analyst and former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen broke down the situation that Covington finds himself in.
Colby Covington "wants to fight, is ready to fight and we're making plans for him here soon," says Dana White.
#DWCS | Full interview: bit.ly/3pDsKkv https://t.co/tFKmVbdZcJ
Speaking on his Beyond the Fight podcast, Sonnen stated (starting at the 8:40 mark):
Who are you going to put Colby with? That's all I'm asking. Who do you guys want to see him with? It looks as though the pickings are becoming a little bit slimmer.
Sonnen continued by adding:
Once you do find it, you're going to find a very tough guy in a very hard match, what's in it for Colby? It's a fair question, everybody's asking it. Every single fighter is asking it, but not every single fighter has been proven to have the level of success of Colby Covington. A number one contender who was the interim champion who beat the BMF, all of those things are gone.
Sonnen noted that Covington currently finds himself in a difficult situation, stating:
It's a tough spot. It's a really unique spot. Oh, and by the way, if you think that you solved the problem, and you've got the perfect guy, and you've got the perfect matchup, it comes back to what do you do with Kamaru Usman? Tell me Kamaru doesn't get to go fight for the belt? Come on.
Watch Chael Sonnen's full comments on Colby Covington below:
What's next for Colby Covington?
UFC President Dana White has already stated that Kamaru Usman will likely be Leon Edwards' first title defense with the fight potentially taking place in London. This complicates the situation that Colby Covington finds himself in as he would be 'fighting down' in the rankings.
Leon vs. Usman 3...in Wembley? 🏟️
We'd make the sun shine for one night only to make this fight happen on home turf! 🤞 #UFC278 https://t.co/q326oTKsFu
The fight that made the most sense for Covington was against Khamzat Chimaev, but Chimaev is now set to fight Nate Diaz at UFC 279. Chimaev had previously called out Covington and many fans wanted to see the fight come to fruition as it would have been a test for both fighters.
One fight that could make sense is Geoff Neal, who recently defeated Vicente Luque at UFC Vegas 59. Following the announcement that Covington is looking for a fight, Neal took the opportunity to throw his name into the mix, suggesting that the two fighters face off.
I'm trying to fight Gilbert but he's busy chasing after Jorge, who is busy arguing with DC about a fight he know DAMN WELL he ain't gonna get. I'm trying to get to the belt. @ColbyCovMMA what's up? Let's keep the welterweight division great!