Exclusive: Does Colby Covington deserve the title shot? UFC welterweight Bryan Battle brings up recent activity level
Bryan Battle recently weighed in on the UFC's decision to give Colby Covington a title shot. While Battle is aware of Covington's extended period of inactivity, the welterweight contender doesn't see anything wrong with 'Chaos' getting a championship opportunity.
UFC CEO Dana White recently announced that Covington has been booked to challenge welterweight champion Leon Edwards for the title at UFC 296 in December.
This fight would also mark Covington's return to action after being away for over a year. The former interim welterweight champion last defeated his former teammate Jorge Masvidal in March 2022.
While many expressed their dismay at Colby Covington getting a direct title shot after such a long layoff, Bryan Battle recently claimed that 'Chaos' is high enough in the divisional rankings to warrant it.
In an exclusive interview with Andrew Whitelaw for Sportskeeda MMA, taken before Dana White's official UFC 296 headliners announcement, 'Pooh Bear' said:
"Yeah sure. I mean, 'deserves' is a funny word. If that's the fight they are making... He's high up enough in the rankings. The only person he has lost to is Kamaru [Usman]."
He continued:
"The man is there. He might not be there recently. But his activity level hasn't been very high as of late. But I'm not gonna argue with the fact that he's getting the title shot."
Watch the interview below:
Bryan Battle confident about beating A.J. Fletcher at UFC Vegas 79
Bryan Battle is set to go up against A.J. Fletcher in an exciting welterweight contest at UFC Vegas 79 this weekend. 'Pooh Bear' recently revealed that he felt "world-class" going into this fight and is confident about getting the win.
Battle tasted MMA stardom after winning The Ultimate Fighter season 29 despite being the underdog. In the UFC, the 29-year-old Missouri native has established himself as one of the most exciting welterweights to look out for.
Bryan Battle is currently 4-1 in his last five outings, last beating Gabe Green via a spectacular knockout at UFC on ABC 4 in May. Now tasked with his next challenge, he's made sure to put in extra work in the gym and is confident about showing fans what the best version of himself looks like.
In an interview with the UFC's Kevin Schuster, 'Pooh Bear' stated:
"AJ is a really tough, underrated dude... A lot of people are looking right past him, and after Saturday, they’re going to feel validated in looking past him because I’m gonna win the fight... Fortunately, I am the best version of myself, so we’re going to handle business on Saturday.”
Watch UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs. Gamrot on Sunday, September 24, from 4:30 AM IST only on Sony Sports Network.