UFC News: Colby Covington accuses USADA of not doing the necessary tests
Colby Covington has repeatedly gone after the Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman claiming that he is in the habit of using performance-enhancing drugs, especially erythropoietin (EPO). Although the Welterweight Champion has never been tested positive for banned substances, whether in UFC or in any other promotion, Covington has left no stone unturned to spread the apparent rumor.
Now, he has turned his attention to UFC's anti-doping partner. MMA Fighting reported on the complains Covington has against USADA ahead of the event of UFC 245.
Colby Covington: Where's the testing?
Covington has stated to multiple media outlets in a media scrum that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has not tested him even once, leading up to his fight against Usman on Saturday night. He is putting the blame on UFC, claiming that they will not want to jeopardize a main event by testing a fighter who could possibly fail, hinting once again at what he said about Usman and his PED use.
"Where’s the testing? I love USADA; I love Jeff Noviztky, but c’mon, guys, let’s be honest. USADA works for the UFC, so you really think that the UFC is going to pull a main event or test a guy that could potentially fail the test and ruin their business? I don’t think so."
But Covington's claim is not correct. Both the fighters have been tested by USADA once during the fourth quarter of the year. Both of them passed the tests as well.
Covington said that he had specifically asked for an EPO test of Usman, and claimed that the Champ avoided talking about the subject, which he took for his sign of guilt.
"I did ask for it extensively with emails and whatnot, and I was hoping they were going to do it. I was going to pay $25,000 to p*** clean in a cup in New York, but he couldn’t do it. He just completely avoided the subject. I brought it up twice to him, and he just acted like he couldn’t even deny it. So I think it showed his reaction at the press conference – he’s obviously on steroids."
Covington has also said, without evidence, that their fight was postponed from UFC 244 to UFC 245 because Usman had to get rid of the EPO in his system.
Usman, in reply to all his opponent's statements, said that he had not even heard of EPO till Covington accused him of using it. He considers it all to be a farce performed by Covington in an attempt of distracting the fans from his chances of losing.