Covington: 'Right matchups at the right time' got Edwards to UFC title shot
Colby Covington believes Leon Edwards took an easy route to the UFC welterweight belt.
Ahead of his title fight against Edwards at UFC 296 on Dec. 16 in Las Vegas, Covington discredited the champion's resume prior to dethroning Kamaru Usman in 2022.
"He had the right matchups at the right time to get to that point in his career," Covington told UFC.com's Gavin Porter. "He fought a lightweight washout in Nate Diaz and sat out almost two years to get his title shot. I don't think he warranted getting a title shot after beating that guy."
Edwards went 10 fights unbeaten - spanning six years - before he knocked out Usman to claim the welterweight title at UFC 178 in August 2022. He beat Diaz in his final non-title bout in June 2021 after earning wins over the likes of former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos, Gunnar Nelson, and Donald Cerrone.
Covington, of course, is getting his third crack at the 170-pound belt after coming up short to Usman in 2019 and 2021 fights. The former interim champion's first undisputed title shot came on the heels of a seven-fight winning streak, but his other two came after just one victory. Covington hasn't stepped into the Octagon since he dominated Jorge Masvidal in March 2022, one fight removed from his second loss to Usman.
Still, Covington can't help but be puzzled by the UFC granting Edwards a title shot in the first place.
"He just cried, 'I deserve this, I deserve that,' instead of just going out there and working for it or earning it like I did," Covington said of Edwards. "I had to earn it the hard way. No one gave me this spot to fight for the undisputed title. I had to earn it."
UFC CEO Dana White deemed Covington the next challenger after he agreed to serve as the backup fighter for the Edwards-Usman trilogy bout in March in London. Covington, who has only fought three times since 2019, does not hold a win over a currently ranked welterweight.
However, the American is confident he'll get his hand raised after the main event of UFC 296.
"You’re not going to see me crying or freaking out like I didn't expect to do it," Covington said. "I'm prepared, and I know that I am the best fighter on planet Earth at welterweight in the UFC right now. It's going to be like I expected it."