"He's a nobody" - Colby Covington shares timeline shared by UFC for octagon return, rejects "unserious" Ian Garry as next opponent
Colby Covington is certain that he will be returning to the octagon soon.
Four months after losing a one-sided decision to Leon Edwards at UFC 295, Covington appeared on the Hodgetwins podcast to provide a timeline on his return. 'Chaos' said that he will "for sure" return in the summer, targeting an appearance on the UFC 303 card headlined by Conor McGregor.
Covington told Hogdetwins hosts Keith and Kevin Hodge:
"I'm gonna fight this summer for sure... I think [the UFC is] planning for me [to be a part of] International Fight Week, we're just trying to figure out who's going to be the guy."
Covington continued:
"There's this kid that's been calling me out, this kid Ian Garry. He's a nobody. I gave him some stipulations and said 'Hey man, if you want to fight me, you have to show me you're serious about business.' Because when I do business I'm serious about it."
As of April 28, neither Covington nor Ian Machado Garry has a fight booked for their next respective outing. The former interim welterweight champion mentioned that he still feels resentful towards Garry for pulling out of UFC 295 in Dec. 2023.
Watch the full interview with Colby Covington from Twins Pod on YouTube below:
Colby Covington claims he has "unfinished business" with welterweight champion Leon Edwards
Colby Covington mentioned on the Hodgetwins podcast that he knows his next fight will be a step back but still believes he can make his way back into another title fight.
When speaking about his fighting future, Covington told the Hodge twins that he has "unfinished business" with Leon Edwards after UFC 295, saying:
"I got unfinished business with my last fight. Leon Edwards, the guy that has the title right now. I broke my foot within the five seconds of the fight... That wasn't me that night, so whoever I have to go through to get back to him."
In the final UFC event of 2023, Covington put forth a lackluster effort in his third undisputed title fight, losing to Edwards by unanimous decision.
After the fight, Covington called for a matchup with top 10 contender Stephen Thompson, who also competed and lost at UFC 295. Covington, however, now seems to be moving past the idea of fighting Thompson.