Colby Covington is Next for Leon Edwards
“No matter what happens, Colby’s next.” UFC President Dana White
Colby Covington will be fighting for the UFC welterweight title next.
After the current champion, Leon Edwards successfully defended his title against Kamaru Usman at UFC 286. UFC President, Dana White made it clear in the post-fight press conference that Covington will be the next challenger despite Edwards saying otherwise.
Covington is currently ranked number two in the UFC welterweight rankings and has been ready to fight for a while. He was on site for UFC 286 as the backup fighter in case something happened with either Edwards or Usman. He was also in attendance and did some media during the event.
In the post-fight press conference, White, who rarely makes fights right after events, told the media in attendance, Covington is next.
“I don’t know when we’ll do it but that’s the fight that makes sense,” White said when asked if that’s the fight he’s interested in. “Colby came here and cut weight and did everything to be here for this fight. He deserves the fight. Especially not to mention the fact that he’s the second or third-best guy in the world so it is Leon versus Colby.”
Edwards does not seem to agree. When asked immediately after the win, in-cage Daniel Cormier Edwards felt Colby’s absence and inactivity did not make him an option. Edwards said of Covington, “That man’s sat out for a year-and-a-half, two years. He ain’t fought nobody.”
No matter what happens, Colby’s next. -UFC President, Dana White
Lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev seemed to want to throw his name in the running for a possible champ versus champ match in the future, but when the media mentioned the social media challenge to White, he dismissed it by saying, “Yeah, Colby’s next.” Gilbert Burns and Jorge Masvidal are the co-main event of UFC 287, Burns is ranked number five and when asked if the winners of that match could be an option for the next welterweight challenger, White reiterated, “ No matter what happens, Colby’s next.”
Now that fans know who’s next, when do you think they book it?
