Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
One way or the other, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) “People’s Champion,” Colby Covington, will be defending his imaginary title at the upcoming UFC 244 pay-per-view (PPV) event, scheduled for Sat., Nov. 2, 2019 inside Madison Square Garden in New York City.
With or without reigning 170-pound titleholder, Kamaru Usman.
“I don’t need a title shot because I already got a title,” Covington told MMA Fighting. “I got the most prestigious title in sports today. I got America’s championship, I got the people’s championship. I’m Donald Trump’s favorite fighter so you think I give a shit about getting the next crack at Marty Fakenewsman? He’s irrelevant, nobody cares about him, nobody wants to watch him fight.”
Usman won the title with a commanding performance over Tyron Woodley at UFC 235 back in March, then went A.W.O.L. in the months that followed, citing injuries. Promotion president, Dana White, expects to have Usman vs. Covington signed before the end of 2019, but it doesn’t sound like Covington (15-1) wants to stick around and wait.
“It doesn’t matter if I fight Marty Fakenewsman next, it doesn’t matter if I fight the Diaz sisters next, doesn’t matter if I fight my best friend next, but my title will be defended at Madison Square Garden,” Covington said. “The journeyman Nate Diaz? He’s hooked on weed, he needs to get hooked on phonics. He’s a bum. He’s got Stockton slaps but he ain’t got MAGA bombs. He needs to stay in Stockton and keep eating his soy because he’s a little soy boy.”
Diaz recently re-entered the 170-pound mix after turning away Anthony Pettis, who was ranked in the Top 10 at the time of their UFC 241 encounter. Shortly after his “Showtime” win, the Stockton slugger called for a fight against longtime veteran, Jorge Masvidal.
Forget about America, can someone please make the welterweight division great again?