In an exclusive interview with MMA News, Colby Covington laughed off 170-pound champion Kamaru Usman’s desire to meet pound-for-pound boxing king Canelo Alvarez inside the ring.
Covington has challenged Usman twice inside the Octagon. In their first meeting at UFC 245 in 2019, “Chaos” gave the champ the toughest test to his reign. Heading into the fifth and final round, most had the fight scored at 2-2. With all to play for, it was Usman who edged ahead and secured a final-frame TKO victory.
After defending his belt once against Gilbert Burns and twice opposite Jorge Masvidal, “The Nigerian Nightmare” faced the threat of Covington again at UFC 268 earlier this month.
Despite dropping “Chaos” in the early rounds and looking like he was facing an easier ride than in the pair’s first clash, Usman lost his firm grip on the headlining bout and allowed his arch-rival back into the contest. But despite rocking the champ inside Madison Square Garden, Covington fell short on the judges’ scorecards.
Covington: Usman vs. Canelo Is The “Funniest Thing I Ever Heard”
Having cleared out many of the top contenders in the division and already lapped and beaten Covington and Masvidal for a second time, many are wondering what’s next for Usman. Ahead of his second victory over the #1-ranked contender, the champ had pitched the idea of a crossover showdown between the UFC’s pound-for-pound king, himself, and boxing’s P4P best, Canelo Alvarez.
Similar to Usman’s 170-pound dominance in the UFC, Canelo has been brushing past opponent after opponent inside the squared circle. The 57-1-2 professional has won multiple world championships across four weight classes from middleweight to light heavyweight. In his latest outing, a TKO win over Caleb Plant on the same night as Usman vs. Covington 2, the Mexican became the first undisputed champion at super middleweight in history.
Speaking to MMA News’ James Lynch, Colby Covington discussed the idea of Canelo and Usman facing off inside the ring. With Canelo’s credentials in mind, and his own experience facing Usman, the former interim titleholder believes talk of “The Nigerian Nightmare” posing any threat to the 31-year-old is laughable. “Chaos” also suggested the welterweight champ’s pursuit of money fights shows he’s nearing retirement from MMA.
“It’s probably the funniest thing I ever heard in my life. I mean, man, that’s just sad, man. That’s not even believable. Like, come on, man. Let’s talk about things in the realm of possibility. You’re acting like a little kid. He’s just trying to get paid. I mean, the bottom line: He doesn’t want to fight tough fights anymore, man. He wants to get this big-money fight and just walk off in the sunset. He doesn’t want it anymore. He doesn’t want it like want it, and that why you’re probably gonna see that guy leave the sport within the next year, and I’m still gonna be here. I’m getting better. I haven’t even hit my prime, man. So when I hit my prime, 34, 35 years old, man, look out, James. These guys are all in trouble,” Covington told MMA News.
Catch our full interview with Colby “Chaos” Covington below:
With Dana White’s comments, in which he emphatically shut down the idea of Usman venturing over to boxing to challenge Canelo, it seems unlikely we’ll be seeing the Nigerian and the Mexican trading leather anytime soon. Nevertheless, the champ isn’t giving up hope, and recently reiterated his desire to make his boxing debut against Canelo.
Do you agree with Colby Covington’s take on a potential Usman vs. Canelo boxing matchup?
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