UFC superstar Colby Covington has taken a huge swipe at Australia’s two greatest fighters – branding Alexander Volkanovski a “midget” who will do anything for money and Robert Whittaker a fighter who has taken too much damage to own gold again.
Elsewhere, Covington also revealed his willingness to be part of the NSW Government’s $16 million UFC splurge, revealing he agreed to have this Sunday’s title fight against champ Leon Edwards take place in Sydney.
Speaking with Fox Sports Australia this week, the fighter dubbed Chaos added that while he was no fan of Australia’s government – “they take a lot of freedoms from people” – he would still happily headline a title fight here in 2024.
Edwards vs Covington | SUN 17th DEC 2PM AEDT | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports. Starting January 2024, Main Event on Kayo Sports and Foxtel will be the exclusive home of UFC Pay-Per-View events in Australia.
However he no longer expects to have a showdown against Whittaker – despite no less than UFC president Dana White once supporting the idea – suggesting the nation’s first champion had now taken too much damage to be a middleweight force again.
Among the most polarising characters in the sport, Covington has a longstanding rivalry with all three of Australia’s biggest UFC names – Volkanovski, Whittaker and Tai Tuivasa.
The American first took aim at Volkanovski back in 2021, when the UFC featherweight champ had been selected to host the latest instalment of The Ultimate Fighter.
Covington suggested UFC executives would be “smacking themselves in the head” after signing a champ who “doesn’t sell” and would “make a complete mockery of the show”.
Then in March last year, Whittaker said he would gladly take a fight with ‘Chaos’ should he want to move up to middleweight – an idea that also received the support of UFC boss White.
However, Covington now says ‘Bobby Knuckles’ time as a UFC superstar is over following his most recent performance, an upset loss to South Africa’s Dricus du Plessis at UFC 290 in July.
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The American told Fox Sports Australia that should he earn the UFC welterweight title this Sunday, he would definitely consider a move up to chase ‘champ champ’ status.
So what chance that could eventually be against Australia’s first UFC champion, who is readying for another run at his old crown?
“A fight with Rob and I will never happen now,” Covington said.
“The guy has lost all his hype.
“First, he lost to the champion (Israel Adesanya), then lost to another guy in a contender fight.
“And I’m not trying to disrespect Robert Whittaker.
“He’s a great fighter. Had a terrific career.
“So I’m definitely not putting him down, Rob’s going to be a Hall of Famer.
“I just think Father Time has passed him by.
“I remember Rob twice fighting Yoel Romero – a guy who I was helping train at the time – and he took a lot of punishment, a lot of damage in those fights.
“And the chin and brain can only take so much.”
Covington also continued his ongoing verbal with Volkanovski, the Aussie who despite fighting two weight classes lower has never taken a backward step from the American.
When Covington first took aim at ‘The Great’ two years ago without provocation, Volkanovski responded by saying the fighter was simply “sour” after missing out on the TUF gig himself.
“The guy needs to stop crying and get himself into a title fight,” Volkanovski told us at the time. “Don’t cry like a baby because you didn’t get this opportunity.
“Suck it up and get into training.
“Get yourself a fight and keep my name out of your mouth.”
The champ later continued: “He can say what he wants about me (not being entertaining).
“At least I’m real.
“Colby Covington literally plays a character to stay relevant.
“But nobody cares about him. Right now, he’s sitting on the sidelines, waiting for a title shot to be given to him.
“Nobody is talking about him and he’s got the s***s about that.”
Yet on the eve of his latest title fight, Covington has again taken aim at Australia’s No.1 fighter, who most recently lost a brave attempt to chase ‘champ champ’ status against lightweight king against Islam Makhachev.
After taking the fight on 11 days notice, Volk was stopped by a Makhachev head kick in the first round.
“So how can I put the guy down more than he already has been?” Covington cackled.
“He just got knocked unconscious.
“It’s why I’ve got no idea why that little midget is trying to talk to the biggest and baddest dude in this division.
“The guy that just knocked him out, he’s scared to fight me.
“Islam Makhachev is scared to fight me.
“So what does that say about Volk?
“OK, maybe he will show up on short notice to take an ass whoopin’ because he likes to get paid.
“Likes the money.
“But there are levels to this game.
“He’s fighting at featherweight with midgets.
“So don’t talk about fighting someone like Colby ‘Chaos’ Covington.”
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Elsewhere, Covington insisted he would be happy to be part of the NSW Government’s hyped $16 million deal to bring three UFC events to Sydney over four years.
The American even revealed he had verbally agreed to headline what was the first of those three fights, UFC 293 back in September.
Instead, top billing eventually went to another contentious American, Sean Strickland, who upset Israel Adesanya to become new UFC middleweight champ.
Quizzed on whispers he had been approached to headline, Covington told Fox Sports Australia: “It was discussed many times.
“Initially, we were supposed to fight in a (Edwards) homecoming fight for his UK fans.
“That was supposed to be July.
“But he robbed his fans in the UK of an undisputed title.
“He said ‘UK, f… you’.
“Told them they don’t deserve a Pay Per View event, that they only deserved a Fight Night.
“That’s a big ‘f… you’.
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“And then he turned down multiple other locations … and the UFC was discussing Sydney as well.
“I said ‘yes, yes, yes’ to every location’.
“I just want to get my hands on this guy because I know he’s a tin man, a quitter.
“And I know the dog in me is going to bring out the quitter in him.”
Told our tax rate for fighters is unusually high, Covington continued: “I would’ve come down.
“I would still defend me title there.
“I think Australia is a great place except for your government.
“I’m all for people’s constitutional rights and freedoms but your government takes a lot of freedoms from people.”
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