Islam Makhachev doesn’t think much of Colby Covington.
On December 14, the three-time UFC title challenger will return to the Octagon for a scrap with No. 9 ranked welterweight contender Joaquin Buckley at the promotion’s final event of 2024.
It will be Covington’s first time competing since coming up short against then-welterweight champion Leon Edwards at UFC 296 around this same time last year. In the time since, ‘Chaos’ has kept himself busy campaigning for and singing the praises of President-elect Donald Trump. Now that the 34-time convicted felon has secured re-election, Covington is ready to get back to business inside the Octagon.
But not everyone is thrilled to see him back.
Over the years, Covington has had plenty to say about reigning lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev and his team of Dagestani stars — including Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov. Ahead of his third and (hopefully) final shot at the welterweight title last year, Covington slammed Team Khabib, calling them nothing but a bunch of weight bullies while claiming he himself does not cut any weight for his fights.
“Let me know who’s gonna be eating like this seven days out from a fight, no one. I don’t cut weight though, I’m a real fighter… I’m not a weight bully like Islam Makhachev who has to cut all that weight to have an advantage over midgets and beat those guys up so that’s why I’m number one pound-for-pound fighter on earth,” Covington said in an episode of UFC 296 Embedded.
Islam Makhachev goes in on ‘Chaos’
During a recent interview with MatchTV, Makhachev snapped back at the OSU alumnus.
Islam Makhachev goes OFF on Colby Covington
“[Colby is] a man who can’t prove anything with his fights, but tries to be well known with his mouth.”
MatchTV #UFC #MMApic.twitter.com/sjfCYoKwXm
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) December 4, 2024
MatchTV
“First, let’s describe who Colby is. A man who can’t prove anything with his fights, but tries to be well known with his mouth. This is what he does. He doesn’t talk about fighters who are not in the top 15,” Makhachev said. “He talks about fighters who have already achieved a lot to be well-known. I think he’s one of the masters of trash talk, but it’s not true that he doesn’t cut weight. Everyone cuts weight.
“For example, Kamaru Usman weighs more than 90kg, he is huge. I do not weigh 86kg. My maximum weight when I train is 82-83kg. [His comments don’t bother me], why should it bother me? It would be understandable if it was someone [who is a good fighter] but when a person can’t fight normally, but still talks about me, it doesn’t bother me” (h/t Bloody Elbow).
Makhachev is 15-1 inside the Octagon with his latest lightweight title defense coming against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 in June. The ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ finished Poirier in the fifth round.
On Wednesday, Dana White announced that Makhachev will return to the Octagon on January 18 to defend his 155-pound crown against the division’s top-ranked contender, Arman Tsarukyan. Also featuring on the UFC 311 card will be a bantamweight title tilt between defending champion Merab Dvalishvili and the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov.
