Since Dana White announced at the UFC 286 post fight press conference that Colby Covington will be getting the next crack at welterweight champion Leon Edwards, there have been a lot of mixed opinions regarding that decision.
Many believe that since Covington hasn’t fought in over a year, no. 3 ranked Belal Muhammad, who’s on an eight-fight win streak (nine fight unbeaten streak), may be the more deserving party of the two.
Jon Anik happens to be one of those people, and he recently had the following to say regarding the matter.
Understand acutely why Colby Covington was the back up but hard not to feel for @bullyb170! 9-fight unbeaten streak. Hasn’t lost in 4plus years. Just KO’d a previously undefeated fighter. The man deserves his respect and I don’t say that b/c he hosts a podcast w/ my twin bro.”
Colby Covington then responded in his recent interview with MMAFighting:
“That guy’s so beyond racist. Everything he does is racist, the guy’s a freaking joke. He’s saying I’m in this position because of my skin color? Because I’m white? Mike that’s clear racism I announced it that the UFC and ESPN need to cut him from the panel. They can’t have a racist on their show. And you know who’s hanging out and who’s socializing with that racist, Jon Anik.
“Jon Anik supports that racism so it’s a freaking joke. And Jon Anik’s supposed to be impartial Mike, he’s supposed to be impartial. He’s supposed to have the headset, he’s supposed to be an interviewer and remain impartial. Don’t be a cheerleader, you don’t wanna be a cheerleader because let down the headset, pick up the pom poms, go on the side and be a cheerleader.
“You wanted to lick my balls in London, but then you wanna go back behind the stage and cheerlead for a racist. So he associates with the racism in Belal Muhammad. And you know, Jon Anik dude, I don’t want your kids to grow up without a dad, just realize you live in Boca (Raton), I live in Miami motherfucker. You’re not too far from me, so you better shut your fucking mouth.
“You poked the bear, now the bear comes after you.”
Belal Muhammad had the following to say in response:
“This guy’s an airhead.
“If he doesn’t have something written down for him to say, if it’s not a script, if it’s not written down by a professional he sounds so stupid. And he’s just drawing for straws trying to grasp at something to make it seem real. And now you’re coming at a guy like Jon Anik, who’s like the nicest guy in the world.
“Any why, because Jon Anik gave you an interview you’re calling him a racist? You’re calling him this, you’re threatening a guy like Jon Anik?
“I told Jon, I texted him, ‘I can’t wait to come to Miami in two weeks.’ Because I’m cornering my teammate Ignacio Bahamondes, and I’m like, ‘I wish I’d see Colby there. And I wish if he even looks at Jon in a certain way of disrespect I swear I’ll walk up to him and slap him right in his mouth.’”
Sharing his thoughts on the situation, UFC color commentator, Michael Bisping played down the potential threat to life of play-by-play lead, Anik by former interim champion, Colby Covington.
“Colby Covington’s threatening to kill Jon Anik, uhh, but he’s not,” Michael Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “He’s playing the game. Jon Anik, he’s in the clear. He’s not gonna get murdered, he’s not being unprofessional. He’s just stating facts.”
To be fair, many peg Colby Covington to be the next best welterweight after Usman, but he’s been inactive, coming off his win over Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272.
Muhammad on the other hand hasn’t lost since 2019, and since his no contest with Leon Edwards in 2021, has defeated two different two-time title challengers in Demian Maia and Stephen Thompson, before evening the score with Vicente Luque, and most recently stopping Sean Brady, who was 15-0 going into their fight.
Unfortunately for Muhammad however, Leon Edwards vs Colby Covington is a much bigger fight than Edwards vs Muhammad.
Do you think Colby Covington vs Belal Muhammad will go down in the future?
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