Colby Covington doesn’t appear to be impressed by UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya.
Adesanya is fresh off a successful title defense against Robert Whittaker at UFC 271. This was a rematch and while the victor remained the same, the second fight played out far differently.
Whittaker had more success in the bout but ultimately it wasn’t enough and “The Last Stylebender” retained his gold via unanimous decision.
Covington Dismisses Adesanya’s Skillset
During a chat with Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports, Colby Covington said he doesn’t view Israel Adesanya as a well-rounded fighter.
“You know, I’m not opposed to going up to 185 and beating up style better. That guy, he’s not a well-rounded fighter. He can’t keep up with my pace. I know I can take him down and drown him.
“So there’s a lot of options for me out there. If I don’t get a chance to do my third fight with Usman, then it’s OK. You know, deep down inside I truly know who’s the better fighter and I can go away with my career knowing that he wasn’t a better fighter and he didn’t prove that to me.
“You know, there’s still unfinished business, but if he wants to walk away from the sport then that’s his decision. I’m not going anywhere, Kevin. I’m just getting started. The best is yet to come. So you might be seeing Usman retire in the next year, and Colby will be the undisputed champ.”
Covington currently competes in the UFC welterweight division. He is a former interim champion at that weight class. He’s scheduled to collide with his former friend Jorge Masvidal in the main event of UFC 272 on March 5.
As for Adesanya, he may be headed for a collision with Jared Cannonier. UFC President Dana White was impressed by Cannonier’s performance against Derek Brunson and has committed to giving him the next crack at 185-pound gold.
