- Santiago Ponzinibbio is convinced Leon Edwards has evolved into a complete fighter who could surely beat Colby Covington
- The “Argentine Dagger” explained why he thinks “Chaos” doesn’t deserve the title shot
UFC 170-pounder Santiago Ponzinibbio shared his thoughts on the upcoming welterweight title fight between Leon Edwards and Colby Covington. For the “Argentine Dagger,” “Rocky” will end up defending his welterweight belt once again as the champ has incredibly evolved over time.
A complete fighter
According to Ponzinibbio, Edwards proved that he owns one of, if not the most lethal kick in the welterweight division when he dethroned Kamaru Usman at UFC 278. What’s even more significant is that Ponizinibbio firmly believes that “Rocky” has made remarkable progress in every aspect of his game, making him the clear favorite to win against “Chaos.”
“I like Edwards, and I think I’ll go with him,” Ponzinibbio said. “He’s had very good evolution. He’s got good reach. It’s a southpaw fight. He has a good kicking game. He showed that against Kamaru (Usman). He’s got good hands and a very good defense. He improved a lot on the grappling. I see him very complete, and I pick him to be the favorite.”
Colby ducks all the time
UFC president Dana White backed his decision to hand Covington a title shot by pointing out that “Chaos” always stepped up. However, Ponzinibbio, who lost to Kevin Holland via KO at UFC 287, begged to disagree.
As per the “Argentine Dagger,” Covington has regularly ducked opponents even when he was still part of the American Top Team and it wasn’t fair for those who rightfully earned a crack at the title.
“It doesn’t make a difference what I think the company should do, but I think it’s wrong,” Ponzinibbio remarked. “It’s wrong because Colby Covington is a fighter who turns down many fights, always. Even when he was here (at American Top Team).
“He rejects a bunch of fights and fights whenever he wants to, and I believe there are fighters who are doing more and have more merit,” he added.
From the looks of it, it appears that Edwards vs. Covington is only waiting for an official date and venue. Edwards will be looking to defend his welterweight belt for the second time, while Covington will hope to finally become the king of 170.
All quotes via MMA Junkie.
