Colby Covington claims he’s the replacement fighter for either Jorge Masvidal or Kamaru Usman at UFC 261.
In the unfortunate event that UFC 261 loses one headliner, you can count on Colby Covington to save the day. In a recent interview with The Schmo, the former interim champion says he will be ready to step up in case Jorge Masvidal or Kamaru Usman fail to show up on fight night for whatever reason.
“The UFC hasn’t told me, but I think it’s pretty self-explanatory that I’m the backup guy,” he said. “If anything happens, if anybody gets COVID, anybody gets cold feet and pulls out of that fight, I’m showing up.
“That’s right down the road for me. We’re in Miami, Florida right now, that’s three and a half hours, four-hour ride. I’ll take a bus over to Jacksonville and I’ll be showing up for that fight. I’ll be there. So if anybody pulls out, I’ll be stepping in, and we’ll evaluate from there.
“I just want to put on good fights and capitalize on my prime and my career right now, which is what I’m in. So we’ll see what happens in a couple of weeks.”
Covington hasn’t fought since September when he scored a TKO win over former champion Tyron Woodley. But he’s apparently kept himself in fight shape and ready to make the weight if needed.
“I’m staying ready, I have my weight ready to go,” he said. “I’m training, preparing like I am fighting April 24th for the world title. So if they want me to weigh in, I’d love to weigh in. If not, it’s OK. I’ll be there in attendance and I’ll be ready to go in case anybody pulls out last-minute.”
UFC 261 will be the company’s first crowd-packed event in 13 months. It will take place at the VyStar Memorial Arena in front of an expected 15,000 people in attendance.