Colby Covington is standing firm, believing he has already done enough for the UFC to warrant better treatment.
Covington was vocal after being left off the line-up for the upcoming ‘Freedom 250’ event at the White House in June.
While this might be his most direct criticism of the promotion to date, it is far from the first time the 38-year-old and the UFC have seen things differently regarding his next move.
Amid his continued pursuit of high-profile opponents and matchups, Covington has recently indicated a significant disconnect regarding the UFC’s current plans.
Colby Covington says he will not be ‘taken advantage of’ despite his recent inactivity
In 2023, Covington’s third undisputed welterweight title shot against Leon Edwards raised plenty of eyebrows, with many questioning whether he deserved the opportunity.
Since then, the former interim champion has stepped into the Octagon just once, suffering a loss to Joaquin Buckley – a result he was not shy about disputing.
During an interview with Bloody Elbow, he acknowledged that his lack of recent activity has affected where he stands with the UFC regarding what comes next. But he made it clear that he is not backing down from his stance.
“Yeah, absolutely. This is a business and they’re looking at it from business on my end and I’m looking at it from business on my end. I know my worth. I’m not going to be taken advantage of.”
He added: “I’m not going to be used and thrown out next to the next kid in line. So, I know what my name draws and most of these fighters at welterweight, they can’t draw money with a green crayon and a white piece of paper.”
Just before the interview where he discussed his long-term deal with Real American Beer, Covington had actually moved up in the welterweight rankings.
‘Chaos’ brushed off the ranking change by saying they have never really mattered to him because they overlook an important point.
He explained:“It wasn’t about a ranking, it’s about my name, Colby ‘Chaos’ Covington. It’s not about a ranking because guess what? Your ranking doesn’t sell tickets or put a—- in seats, your name does and the name Colby Covington sells out arenas.”
Colby Covington’s next fight does not fit the direction he wants to go
This week, Covington informed MMA Junkie that the only fight he has been offered – and which he says he has accepted – is against the victor of the upcoming UFC Winnipeg main event between Gilbert Burns and Mike Malott.
A fight against Burns would make sense, given his four-fight losing streak, but it seems more likely that the UFC is looking to match him up with Malott instead.
This lines up with what Covington told Bloody Elbow earlier in June when he spoke about not wanting to be ‘used and thrown out’, and how unhappy he was with this potential match-up during an interview with Submission Radio.
“Why can’t I get another guy around my age that’s a legendary fighter that adds to my resume, a high ranking guy? Why against some un-established nobody? You just wanna build this kid out of Canada [Malott] because you don’t have any Canadian stars right now. Not a lot of it makes sense.”
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