Colby Covington talks up potential Israel Adesanya clash
- Doug Mattushek
- 12 May 2023
UFC welterweight star Colby Covington is not afraid to chase glory in higher weight classes and has set his sights on Israel Adesanya.
If the UFC was a war of words, welterweight star Colby Covington would be a champion ten times over.
With Leon Edwards defending his title against Kumara Usman in March - and Covington conveniently showing up cage-side in London - the Floridian is prepping for a title shot.
But Covington has higher aspirations.
Speaking to
mmafighting.com this week, the top-ranked welterweight is still entertaining a move up to middleweight to fight Adesanya, something he teased over a year ago after beating Jorge Masvidal.
"I think that's a huge fight and it's a fight of high magnitude," said the self-professed Donald Trump's favourite fighter.
"I like the matchup, to be honest. I don't think he can hang with me. I think I take him down, I beat him from pillar to post and I just break him inside that octagon. He can't hang with the cardio king. He's not ready for raw American steel and twisted sex appeal.
"I would love that fight, champion vs. champion, USA vs. wherever he's from New Zealand or whatever, let's get this going.
"I don't think he wants to fight a high-level wrestler like me, someone that can just keep up and be in his face the whole entire time, pressuring him. I'm not just going to shoot one takedown, I'm going to shoot 5000 takedowns and be in your face and break you.
"If that's what the UFC wants to do, I'm here. I'm a company man, I'm a businessman so I care about the company and whatever the company wants to do, I want to do the biggest and best business for the company, the UFC, the greatest organization in the world."
Love him or hate him, Covington's persona since turning heel is a sight to behold.
However, Covington would have to get in line to fight the mercurial Stylebender. UFC overlord Dana White recently confirmed a middleweight title eliminator fight - South Africa's Dricus du Plessis v former champion Robert Whittaker - for UFC 290.
Covington's unlikely route to the middleweight belt would require a win over Edwards in the near future. Either way, just give this man some more airtime…
