“He’s not someone they can trust” - Colby Covington makes startling claim about UFC top management’s relationship with Khamzat Chimaev
Colby Covington has stated that the UFC brass may not want Khamzat Chimaev grabbing the brass ring.
The multi-time UFC welterweight title contender stated this regarding Hunter Campbell and Dana White specifically.
Covington stated he said to Campbell about a June or July turnaround fight last year after his March 2022 win over Jorge Masvidal.
Speaking to Brett Okamoto of ESPN MMA on how the eighteen-month hiatus from competition affected him, Covington said:
"They (Campbell and White) were looking at setting up that fight with that mother******, Khamzat Chimaev but he's unprofessional. He's a clown. He's out there laughing when he's missing weight by 10 pounds, making a fool of this publicly traded, beautiful company of the UFC, making a fool."
"Laughing while you're ruining their main event pay-per-view. So he's not accountable. He's not someone they can trust in that spotlight. They gave him the easiest fight in the division. The soy boy, the washed up Nate Diaz that shouldn't even be fighting anymore. The guy can't even talk straight, he's not even coherent anymore."
"They gave him the easiest fight to set up to get this big money fight in Colby 'Chaos' Covington. He couldn't pass the test. He was afraid, plain and simple. So he ran away from me to middleweight."
Check out Covington's recent comments on Chimaev below:
Colby Covington and his UFC welterweight resume
Colby Covington mentioned that Khamzat Chimaev recently left 170 pounds, and this is a weight category that 'Chaos' has accomplished quite a bit in.
Colby Covington cemented himself as the interim champion with a comprehensive performance en route to besting Rafael Dos Anjos. The unanimous decision verdict transpired in June 2018 at UFC 225.
Covington has challenged for welterweight gold on two occasions, and both were against prolific now former titleholder Kamaru Usman. The first came at UFC 245, where the headliner saw Usman finish Covington with strikes in the fifth round to defend his belt in December 2019.
In his second crack at the UFC welterweight crown at UFC 268 in November 2021, Covington was able to go the distance but dropped a unanimous decision to go 0-2 in the Usman series.
Colby Covington will again stake his claim for the welterweight strap when he takes on reigning 170-pound titleholder Leon Edwards at UFC 296 on December 16. It seems like a polarizing former United States president can be counted as one of many who will be live in attendance for the prizefight.