Colby Covington talks how the Robbie Lawler fight was finalized, as he also expects the presidential family to be present at cageside for the bout.
It was expected for Colby Covington to be the first challenger of UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. However, the UFC decided to go another direction and instead book “Chaos” against former champion Robbie Lawler to headline the company’s upcoming event in Newark.
Covington, however, is not as disappointed as his management team was with the title shot snub. Speaking with Submission Radio, the loud-talking welterweight discussed how the Lawler booking came about.
“Uncle Dana called America’s champ, me, and I answered the call,” he said. “I always do. I’m a company man, and I’m here to fight. And that’s the thing, none of these other guys that have been champs in the past are here to fight, they’re here to negotiate, they’re here to do this bullsh-t Floyd Mayweather plan, where they sit out and look for the easiest contenders. But not me.
“I’m America’s champ, I’m the people’s champ, and I’m here to defend my title,” he continued. “And there’s no one more worthy of getting a title shot right now than Robbie Lawler. He’s the last real champion of our division. His legacy speaks for itself. He’s an all-time great, he’s a first-ballot hall-of-famer, and I can’t wait to get in the octagon with him August 3rd in Newark, New Jersey at the Prudential Centre.
Covington has high expectations for the Lawler fight, so much so that he also awaits the presence of the Trump family at cage side.
“We’re fighting the biggest name in the division, behind myself obviously, so we’ve got a title on the line. It doesn’t get any bigger than this, boys,” he said. “We’re fighting on big ESPN. The Trumps, the first family is gonna be front row, it’s gonna be a spectacle. What else can I ask for? He’s the biggest name in the division besides myself.”
“As far as the Trumps coming, the first family, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump I’ve been in touch with,” he added. “Of course, I went and saw them at Trump tower about two or three weeks ago when I was up in New York hanging out with the marines and the navy for fleet week. So, they have given me their word they will be front row for my next fight.”
UFC on ESPN 5 takes place on August 3rd in Newark, New Jersey.