Colby Covington says no one at welterweight is “deserving” of a title shot, eyes first title defense against Islam Makhachev

Colby Covington doesn’t think anybody at welterweight deserves a title fight.

Covington is set to fight Leon Edwards in the main event of UFC 296 for the welterweight title on Dec. 16. It’s a big fight and in the lead-up, ‘Chaos’ is confident he will become the champ with a stoppage win over Edwards.

If Covington does finish Edwards and becomes the champ, he doesn’t think anyone in the welterweight division deserves a title shot. With that, ‘Chaos’ is open to having his first title defense be a super fight against lightweight champ Islam Makhachev.

“Neither him or anybody else is deserving. He’s a racist… There’s that little mongul, he’s been talking a little bit saying he wants to come up and fight in a real man’s division, cause he’s at a little boy’s weight class,” Colby Covington said to James Lynch. “I’m talking about Islam Makhachev. He’s fighting in a little man’s weight class, fighting little midgets and he’s barely beating midgets, split decisions, split draws. It’s just pathetic. That little mongul has been talking, he has been saying he wants to come up to a real man division and face a real man in America’s champ. That might present itself as well, I think that’s a big super fight, and I think that’s a fight the fans want to see.”

If the fight with Islam Makhachev does come to fruition, Colby Covington thinks the UFC lightweight champ would face a lot of problems.

Colby Covington takes aim at Islam Makhachev

However, Covington isn’t sure Makhachev would actually go up to welterweight to fight him. But, if he does, he hopes it can happen early next year as his first title defense.

“A lot of holes in his game. He’s talked a big game, he’s trying to ride the coattails of Khabib’s success and what he was able to accomplish. He’s not Khabib, it’s not the same thing. Khabib was scared of me, he didn’t want to come up to welterweight because of me. Even his daddy knows it’s not smart to go up to welterweight,” Covington said.

“But, he keeps talking a big game over to Hunter Campbell and Dana White and the UFC. There’s no telling what’s going to happen. He’s said some things behind the scenes, so let’s see if he’s a man of his word… We could turn it right around in March. First quarter of next year, maybe February, maybe an early birthday gift for me. February, March, I want to fight three (or) four times next year,” Covington concluded.