Getty Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal
UFC welterweight star Colby Covington could be left out in the cold in terms of getting the next chance to fight for UFC gold at 170 pounds, but the 33-year-old American isn’t going to let that keep him from calling for the fight anyway.
In his latest rant, Covington blasted both UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and former-friend-turned-bitter-rival Jorge Masvidal via Instagram on Thursday seemingly aimed at getting Covington another crack at the title.
In his post, Covington claimed Usman was his “b****” and that the UFC champ should “show the world some balls” by fighting Covington again.
Covington also ripped into Masvidal for being “a journeyman with 15 L’s” and used that same premise to simultaneously diss Usman for taking the immediate rematch.
You can see Covington’s remarks in their entirety below.
Covington posted, “I’m ranked #1 in the world and added a 3rd UFC champion as a victim to my resume in my last fight. You’re beating lightweights and calling out a journeyman with 15 L’s for a rematch after he hasn’t fought in a year since you beat him 50-42…You’re a b**** Marty. Show the world some balls. Fight me.”
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Covington Blamed Referee For Previous Loss to Champ
Usman defeated Covington at UFC 245 in December 2019. The fight was stopped in the fifth round after Usman fractured the challenger’s jaw, but Covington claimed after the bout via social media that referee Marc Goddard was to blame for the loss.
Covington posted, “You robbed the people of a fair fight” as well as several other sharp criticisms.
Normally people do their fucking in the bedroom, not the octagon @marcgoddard_uk! I go in there to kill or be killed. You robbed me of that. You robbed the people of a fair fight. You should be ashamed of yourself. Fake nut shot. Fake eye poke. Fake stoppage. Fake ref. #ufc245
Regardless, Covington rebounded after losing to Usman and is currently the top-rated contender in the UFC’s stacked 170-pound division.
The former interim champ defeated former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley by fifth-round stoppage in December 2020 and has seemed content since that dominant victory to wait for the winner of the upcoming rematch between Usman and Masvidal.
There’s just one problem. Covington might not actually get the fight with either man. In his recent chat with ESPN, Usman suggested Covington would need to pick up more than just one win over Woodley to earn the rematch.
“Show me some activity,” Usman said.
Masvidal seemed a little keener on making the fight happen, but the UFC “BMF” champ also suggested it would only happen when Masvidal says so.
“I really wanna hurt this guy in a way I’ve never done before…but when I the f*** say so,” Masvidal told ESPN.
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Covington and Usman Agree on ‘BMF’ Champ’s Credentials
Perhaps the strangest thing about the whole situation is that both Usman and Covington agree on the same idea that Masvidal is a “journeyman” and not a true contender.
In fact, Usman has consistently called Masvidal that same thing since at least last year.
During his recent interview with ESPN, Usman doubled down on that rhetoric, though he also tried to frame the term in a new light.
“That isn’t necessarily a negative thing. You have to be good to be a journeyman because you have to be good enough to be accepted at all these different places where you go. And that’s what Masvidal has been. Make no mistake. He’s very talented, and he’s very, very tough…He’s a great fighter. I take nothing away from him. He’s a great fighter. But even being great is not enough when it comes to me, and he understands that,” Usman said.
UFC 261: Usman vs. Masvidal 2 takes place on April 24.
Covington seems hopeful he’s on his way to getting the winner in a grudge match, but the only thing certain right now about what happens after that is that nobody knows for sure.
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