Colby Covington is a lot of things but short on confidence is not one of them. The former Welterweight title contender, fresh off the victorious Donald Trump Presidential campaign has admitted to thinking about replacing Belal Muhammad and saving the day by fighting Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 309. And he was willing to do it on a “week’s notice”.
Speaking exclusively to Submission Radio, the American fighter claimed that since Belal would be out with a toe injury for 6 months (weeks), he was actually really tempted. However it dawned upon him very early that Belal might be replaced by former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.
“I was excited at the opportunity to step in there but looks like they are going in a different route… potentially with Usman and s***rat fight. Good on them. That’s okay. You know I am right there anyways. I beat someone, I am right back in the conversation.”
Covington asserted that he was already ready to go and didn’t even mind taking a fight on short notice.
So, they know they can call me on a week’s notice and I am stepping up to the plate. So… it’s a good match up for me and I wanna fight everybody. I want the biggest and best fights and I am coming back a completely changed fighter.
But now that the fight is not happening, where does Covington see himself? When does he return?
What’s next for Colby?
Last time Covington fought, the then champion Leon Edwards made him lose at his own game. Edwards, a striker, not only grappled with Covington but also made him look tired and silly, with experts and the like speculating the decline of an once promising fighter.
But the American still harbors the thought of winning the elusive welterweight title. And since the Rakhmonov fight could potentially have been an interim title fight, it might just have been his chance to do so.
But no matter. Time flies, Colby doesn’t. The former welterweight contender believes that he’s always just one win away from being in the conversation.
“They need someone who can put a**es in seats and entertain people. I am still the biggest star in the division. I am going to get back to that title before next summer. “
Three out of five of Covington’s last fights have been title shots, of which only one was competitive and it was before the global pandemic in 2019. So it will be interesting to see how he fares against new blood as his races against time.
