Former interim UFC welterweight champion Colby Covington likes his chances in a potential clash with Michael Chandler.
Sine the start of 2023, Chandler has had his sights firmly set on being the opposition for Conor McGregor’s comeback fight. And that appears to still be the case despite close to two years passing by.
In the meantime, the ex-Bellator titleholder faced and lost to Charles Oliveira last November, pushing him to a 2-4 record inside the Octagon. Nevertheless, his entertaining style looks to have kept the McGregor fight on the table.
But like last year, Chandler isn’t without backup options.
Last month, the veteran lightweight contender suggested he’d be open to doing battle with Covington up at welterweight. The comments came shortly before “Chaos” suffered a brutal loss at the hands of Joaquin Buckley in Tampa.
During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, Covington looked ahead to what 2025 could have in store for him following two straight defeats. He noted Chandler’s interest in a fight, sharing the same sentiment while slipping in a steroid allegation for good measure.
“I don’t blame Michael for wanting the next biggest fight he could possibly get. That’s me,” Covington said. “So, he loves to get beat up. He loves to get his face smacked, and if that’s the fight the UFC wants, then I love that fight. … I hope it comes to fruition. But, I don’t know. I think he’s all talk, I don’t think he’s any walk.
“I see myself overpowering him. He’s definitely done some steroids to bulk up, so ’70 looks like a weight class he could fit into. … He’s like a (Islam) Makhachev. These guys are weight bullies. … There’s no reason he shouldn’t come up to 170,” Covington continued. “How I see the fight going, it’s a very easy fight. I see me breaking his will. If it’s five rounds, for sure he’s not hanging out. … I just see him quitting, him breaking, like in the Dustin (Poirier) fight. … It would be a catastrophe for him.”
With the result on Dec. 14, Covington is now 2-4 across his last six fights and 0-4 against those currently ranked inside the welterweight top 15.