Tom Aspinall discusses lawsuit conspiracy theory behind Colby Covington getting confirmed title shot
Colby Covington being guaranteed a title shot next by UFC president Dana White hasn't gone down well with everyone, including UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards. If rising heavyweight challenger Tom Aspinall is to be believed, there is a conspiracy theory that can help fans make sense of the whole situation.
Covington has been out of action since his last fight against bitter rival Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272 in March 2022. Following the fight, Masvidal allegedly assaulted Covington outside a restaurant in Miami Beach, Florida, and 'Gamebred' was later arrested and charged with various felonies, including aggravated battery and criminal mischief. It is worth noting that Masvidal could have faced up to 15 years in prison if convicted on the aggravated battery charges.
Jorge Masvidal was reported to have sucker-punched Colby Covington twice and fractured Covington's tooth in a recent altercation outside a Miami restaurant. He could face felony battery charges as a result of this incident.
#jorgemasvidal #colbycovington #ufc #sportskeedamma https://t.co/dlJh6UJyf3
Since then, the court matter has seemingly been settled and Masvidal returned to action against Gilbert Burns at UFC 287. Colby Covington, meanwhile, shocked the MMA world when he made a surprise appearance at UFC 286, weighing in as the backup fighter for the rematch between Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman in London.
Given this context, Tom Aspinall has revealed a conspiracy theory in which the UFC allegedly persuaded Colby Covington to drop charges against Jorge Masvidal in exchange for a guaranteed title shot next. Speaking in an interview with TheMacLife, Aspinall stated:
"It's a bit strange [that the UFC guaranteed Covington the next title shot].... [It] has something to do with the lawsuit thing. I've seen a lot of speculation on that online. They told Colby that if he drops the charges he can have the title shot. That seems to be a conspiracy theory."
However, Aspinall dismissed the rumors as nothing more than a conspiracy theory, saying that the Edwards vs. Covington fight is perhaps the biggest fight the UFC can book right now in the welterweight division.
Catch Tom Aspinall's comments below (18:00):
When Brendan Schaub speculated that the UFC paid Colby Covington to drop charges against Jorge Masvidal
UFC president Dana White confirmed that Colby Covington would be challenging for the welterweight title next during the post-fight press conference for UFC 286. Meanwhile, reigning welterweight champion Leon Edwards is baffled as to how Covington is assured a title shot after not competing for over a year.
Dana White announced that Colby Covington will face Leon Edwards next for the UFC welterweight title after he beat Kamaru Usman at #UFC286 💪 https://t.co/OBsnwaqhTU
Brendan Schaub rehashed the time Jorge Masvidal attacked Colby Covington outside a restaurant in Miami, and 'Chaos' ended up suing the former BMF champion in court. Schaub thinks it's odd that things have calmed down suddenly and questioned:
“Does nobody think it’s weird that the Masvidal drama, all that’s gone away? Maybe the UFC went to him [Covington], ‘Hey, Drop all that stuff. You come back, we’ll give you a title shot. Drop all that bullsh*t because we have Masvidal fighting Gilbert Burns. We need to move on.”
Catch Brendan Schaub's comments below: