What are Leon Edwards' chances againt Colby Covington? UFC welterweight Khaos Williams weighs in (Exclusive)
The next UFC welterweight title bout is highly likely to see Leon Edwards defend his title against Colby Covington.
Despite initial rumors suggesting that the Edwards vs. Covington fight could go down in London on July 22, Dana White has recently shot this idea down.
The UFC is now looking at London in July as a Fight Night instead of PPV with Leon Edwards refusal to fight then, confirms Dana White. #UFCKansasCity https://t.co/Fy0h1KUcCf
Either way, despite Edwards suggesting that he didn’t want to face ‘Chaos’ at one point, it looks like he won't have much choice. Last month saw Covington hit out at ’Rocky' on Twitter, literally stating “see you in July” - although the fight is more likely to happen later.
🦅
Don’t want to give me a title shot mumble mouth? I recall the British not wanting to give Americans our freedom either... So we took it.
See you in July junior.
🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸 https://t.co/nGLhgUsPHx
So who will come out on top when Edwards faces Covington in the octagon? In a recent exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA’s Andrew Whitelaw, UFC welterweight contender Khaos Williams weighed in on the subject:
“So I mean, it’s a fight, man, anybody can get it...I feel like Colby definitely got a good chance of winning the belt, but you can’t count Leon Edwards out, he’s the champ now...he was able to get it from Usman respectfully, and he was able to defend it. A lot of people counted him out and he showed people different, man, so I feel like, even with Colby, Usman was able to beat him but style make matchups and everybody’s different...so you never know...but he’s the champ, when you’re the champ you’re not just gonna lie down.”
Watch Khaos Williams’ take on Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington below.
It’s clear from this interview that ‘The Ox Fighter’, like many others, will find it hard to pick a winner when ‘Rocky’ faces ‘Chaos’. That suggests it’ll be a fascinating fight to watch.
As for Williams, he’s set to face off against Ronaldo Bedoya at UFC 288 this weekend, and will be hopeful of bouncing back from his 2022 loss to Randy Brown.
Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington: could plans change?
Right now, it seems like UFC President Dana White is absolutely determined to get a welterweight title fight between Leon Edwards and Colby Covington signed. Last month, he even threatened to strip ‘Rocky’ of his title should he look to avoid a clash with ‘Chaos’, according to Covington.
However, in the world of the UFC, plans can always change. This weekend at UFC 288, two other top welterweight contenders will throw down, when Belal Muhammad faces Gilbert Burns.
Muhammad, who is riding a nine-fight unbeaten streak and saw his bout with Edwards in 2021 end in a no contest, has claimed that he could “steal” Covington’s title shot.
He had the following to say at media day:
“I think if I put on a great performance this weekend and get a tremendous finish or something...they’re going to Abu Dhabi. You think they’re gonna have Leon fight Colby in Abu Dhabi? No, they’re gonna have me fight [Edwards] in Abu Dhabi.”
Check out Belal Muhammad’s take below.
Catch UFC 288 on Sony Sports Network in India from 7:30 AM live on Sunday, May 7.