Colby Covington takes on Leon Edwards for the welterweight title this weekend in the main event of UFC 296. ‘Chaos’ will take on Edwards in what is set to be his third title shot in the last four years. In order to maximise his chances of winning gold on Saturday, Covington has resorted to trash talk to try and get under Edwards skin.
Covington has always edged close to the line when it comes to trash talk. However, this time around the former champion has definitely crossed lines which was not well received by fans either.
During the UFC 296 press conference, Covington stated that he would take Edwards to hell where he could meet his father. Edwards then flung a bottle at Covington after which they had to be broken up by the security on stage. Edwards’ father was shot and killed in a nightclub when he was just 13 which explains his reaction to the comment. Needless to say, fans were brutal on Colby Covington for his statements. Here are some of the best reactions fans had to Covington’s comments.
Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of UFC’s all time best fighters who had a lot of respect for his dad Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. A prominent member of his team did not like Covington’s choice of words to hype the match. The Dagestani’s manager Ali Abdelaziz responded to ‘Chaos” statement by saying, “This guy is a piece of shit”
Another fan said, “I thought it’s all an “act” and Colby’s a good guy in real life, right??”
“Hope he ends colbys career for good”– said another fan.
“Most Leon has ever done to sell a fight”– said a fan after Edwards’ actions.
“This feels like he took it way too far.”– commented another fan.
With that being said, let’s take a closer look at the fight between Colby Covington and Leon Edwards.
Will Colby Covington be able to make the most of his third title shot?
Covington has been in the UFC for the better part of a decade. ‘Chaos’ is set to turn 36 in a month, therefore, he does not have a lot of time left in his fighting prime. This will very well be ‘Chaos’ last chance at a UFC title. Covington goes into the fight on the back of an impressive win over his arch-rival Jorge Masvidal. Edwards on the other hand just secured arguably the best knockout win of 2023 over Kamaru Usman. He has also defended his belt against Usman at UFC 286.
Going into the fight, Edwards will have an advantage in height as well as a two-inch advantage in reach as well. Takedown defence will be crucial for Edwards in this fight if he wants to retain his title. The consensus is that on the feet, both Covington and Edwards are fairly match. Will UFC 296 end with a new champion? Or a successful first title defence for Leon Edwards? Only time will tell.
