UFC president Dana white admits Colby Covington is ‘right there’ for a shot at the promotion’s welterweight title.
After relative silence from Covington over the past while, we were surprised to see the former interim champion make an appearance at the official weigh in for UFC 286 yesterday. Covington would weigh in as a back-up for tonight’s main event between Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman.
We have not seen much of Covington since his infamous incident in which rival, Jorge Masvidal, allegedly sucker punched Covington, fracturing a tooth.
Dana White talks Colby Covington
Back-up fighters are sometimes announced, or leaked, so it took everyone by surprise to see Covington, who is a big name, casually stroll up to make weight.
White however said that he didn’t know that it was so under wraps.
“I didn’t even know it was a secret,” White said. “We’re just doing what we do, and I’m not really aware of what [the media] knows and what [they] don’t know until it happens. It wasn’t anything that was being kept a secret. We have a backup for every fight. It’s just never a big deal. Nobody really ever asks, ‘Well, who is the backup for this fight?’ It’s not anything that we really promote.” (H/T MMAFighting)
White would continue, saying that Covington, 35, is close to a title shot even with Covington having only fought once in since his November, 2021 rematch with Kamaru Usman.
“That, I don’t know,” White said. “He stepped up for this thing, and he’s obviously one of the best in the world, but yeah, he’s right there.”
Does Colby Covington deserve a title shot?