Henry Cejudo thinks Leon Edwards might struggle against Colby Covington.
‘Rocky’ defended the UFC welterweight championship for the first time at UFC 286 against Kamaru Usman. During the post-event press conference, Dana White revealed that Covington will fight for the 170-pound title next. Cejudo discussed the possible matchup in a YouTube video by saying:
“When I say it’s an easy fight for Colby [Covington], stylistically you’re [Leon Edwards is] a good fight for him because your wrestling is still a little suspect. With Colby Covington, he’s gonna be coming at you from round one to round five.”
Covington hasn’t fought since his dominant decision win against Jorge Masvidal in March 2022. Although he is the number two-ranked welterweight, there was backlash regarding ‘Chaos’ getting the next title shot. With that said, Cejudo thinks the American is a bad matchup for Edwards.
Dana White, Colby Covington and Leon Edwards react to the next UFC Welterweight Championship fight possibly being Leon vs. Colby. #UFC286 pic.twitter.com/pz0TW6WxIP
— COMBAT SPORTS TODAY (@CSTodayNews) March 19, 2023
Watch Henry Cejudo discuss Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington below:
Henry Cejudo believes Colby Covington is the toughest matchup for Leon Edwards
Before fighting Kamaru Usman for the second time, there were concerns about Leon Edwards’ takedown defense and five-round cardio. Although Edwards debunked those concerns at UFC 286, Henry Cejudo is still skeptical about how ‘Rocky’ will fare against Colby Covington.
Considering Covington’s primary skills are cardio and grappling, Cejudo believes ‘Chaos’ could be a stylistic nightmare for Edwards. During the same YouTube video, ‘Triple C’ provided his prediction for the potential welterweight title fight:
“Prediction is Colby beats him, Colby beats him. Colby maybe doesn’t stop him, but he grinds him out for five rounds. Might be four rounds to one or three to two… I could see Colby being the toughest matchup for him… If I had to pick an option if I was Leon, I’d be like, hey, I’ll go with this guy [Khamzat] or I would go with Jorge [Masvidal]. I could see why you’re trying to avoid a guy like Colby Covington.”
According to BetOnline, Covington opened as a -135 betting favorite, with the reigning champion as a +115 underdog. The question is, will the matchup be next? ‘Rocky’ has voiced his frustration about ‘Chaos’ not being deserving of a title shot, including a statement saying he wouldn’t sign the contract. It’ll be intriguing to see if Dana White and the UFC override Edwards’ demands.
Colby Covington believes Leon Edwards "will be stripped" if he doesn't agree to the fight 👀
"You’re not Conor McGregor, bro. You don’t get to call the shots, dude. You’re a nobody, dude.”
▶️ https://t.co/LdQ0SHZzI4 (via @MikeHeck_JR) pic.twitter.com/6nuLEJfdaI
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) March 21, 2023
