It may take a little convincing for Leon Edwards to sign the dotted line, but the reigning UFC welterweight champion is expected to defend his title next against Colby Covington at UFC 291 on July 22 in London, England.
This is according to a recent report by Sports Illustrated. Neither fighter has signed an official contract for the welterweight title fight, but the promotion has informed both parties of its plan.
Edwards, who is coming off his second-straight win over Kamaru Usman at UFC 286 earlier this month, has publicly declined to fight “Chaos” next. According to the champion, Covington’s inactiveness and lack of significant wins over ranked opponents takes him out of the mix. Instead, Edwards is more interested in matchups with the likes of Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad.
Still, money talks and UFC seems more than willing to sweeten the pot to ensure that Edwards accepts a fight with Covington. Scheduling the event in London once again is a good start as UFC president Dana White remains adamant that “Chaos” get the next shot at UFC gold.
Covington, 35, weighed in as an alternative for UFC 286’s title fight only to watch the action cageside. The mouthy contender hasn’t competed since a unanimous decision win over rival Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272 back in March 2022. If Covington does in fact score a long-awaited showdown with Edwards at UFC 291 in London it will be his third UFC title fight in his last five trips to the Octagon.
What say you, Maniacs? Do you want to see Edwards vs. Covington in London?
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