Colby Covington Is No Longer Interested In Fighting Jorge Masvidal

Colby CovingtonColby Covington is no longer interested in fighting Jorge Masvidal after seeing ‘Gamebred’ get knocked out by Kamaru Usman at UFC 261. ‘Chaos’ has been calling for a fight with his former teammate and friend for some time, but Masvidal has shown little interested in the grudge match. During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, […]

Colby Covington

Colby Covington is no longer interested in fighting Jorge Masvidal after seeing ‘Gamebred’ get knocked out by Kamaru Usman at UFC 261.

‘Chaos’ has been calling for a fight with his former teammate and friend for some time, but Masvidal has shown little interested in the grudge match.

During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Covington claimed a fight between him and Masvidal no longer makes sense.

“It doesn’t make sense,” Covington said. “I’m not gonna have people downplay my victory if I beat him. I’ve already owned his soul for the last 10 years when we trained together at American Top Team. You can go look on the internet, I used to hold him down in our kitchen and just pat on his face, ‘Get up Masvidal, get up, do something,’ and he couldn’t do anything. So he knows I’m his daddy, I’m his rightful owner, and there’s a reason he ducked the fight for so long. He doesn’t want to fight me.

“He knows I own the keys to his soul, so I don’t know. If the UFC really wants to do it, I’m the people’s champ, and I’m America’s champ for a reason. I’ll do what the people want, what the UFC want. I want to put the biggest and best fights in the organization, but I don’t feel like he’s the biggest and best fight in the organization. The guy has almost 20 losses on his record, he’s nothing more than a journeyman at this point, so his 10 seconds of fame are up, and there’s nothing for me to gain anymore.”

UFC president, Dana White recently revealed that Covington is next in line for a shot at the welterweight title. Usman who currently holds the belt has attempted to distance himself from a rematch with Covington who is determined to avenge his loss to ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’

“I’ve already beat him up and knocked him out multiple times in the gym. I have nothing to prove against him,” Covington said of Masvidal. “I want to go out there, beat ‘Marty Fakenewsman,’ solidify myself as the greatest welterweight in the world, and go on to solidify myself as the greatest welterweight of all time. I have unfinished business.”

Do you still want to see Colby Covington vs. Kamaru Usman?

Jake Paul Inserts Rematch Clause Into Tyron Woodley Fight Contract

Jake PaulJake Paul and his team insisted on an automatic rematch clause before agreeing to fight Tyron Woodley on August 28. The YouTuber transitioned to professional boxing in 2020 and is undefeated with a perfect 3-0 record. Paul’s wins come against poor opposition in fellow internet celebrity AnESONGib and former NBA player Nate Robinson as well […]

Jake Paul

Jake Paul and his team insisted on an automatic rematch clause before agreeing to fight Tyron Woodley on August 28.

The YouTuber transitioned to professional boxing in 2020 and is undefeated with a perfect 3-0 record. Paul’s wins come against poor opposition in fellow internet celebrity AnESONGib and former NBA player Nate Robinson as well as former MMA champion Ben Askren who is a good friend of Woodley’s.

‘The Chosen One’ was cut from the UFC after losing to Vicente Luque at UFC 260 in March. The defeat stretched Woodley’s winless run to four. ‘T-Wood’ previously lost against Kamaru Usman, Gilbert Burns, and Colby Covington in consecutive fights. Before that, Woodley was the welterweight champion for several years and earned himself the reputation as one of the best 170lb fighters of all time. He’ll be making his boxing debut when he squares off against Paul on August 28.

In an interview with MMA Fighting, Woodley’s manager, Malki Kawa, explained that his client will make more in his boxing debut than he ever did in the UFC.

“He’s getting paid really well,” Kawa said about Woodley’s contract. “It’s one of the best deals I’ve ever done. For a guy in his situation, it was a tremendous deal. He’s getting a large base number. He’s getting a cut of the pay-per-view globally. He’s participating in a lot of different things. He should walk away with a multi-million dollar payday. His base guarantee is in the millions already. Add on all the extra stuff, it’s a really nice payday.

“In this case, I worked with Nakisa, I worked with Stephen Espinoza, I gave them what I was looking for. We worked back and forth for a good amount of time. Sh*t got ugly sometimes, other times it was pleasant. We just got to a point where we felt comfortable with it and Jake is probably making the lion’s share of the money, which he is, but nonetheless Tyron, this is a real good day for him.”

“He definitely got paid in his base guarantee more than he ever did in the UFC, whether as a champion or non-champion, that’s a fact yes,” Kawa added.

Paul and his team insisted on an automatic rematch clause that could be triggered should the former Disney actor lose to the welterweight great.

“Jake Paul’s team negotiated an automatic rematch clause,” Kawa revealed. “That’s how much this is a scary fight to them. If we win this fight, if Jake Paul wants it, then we have to run it back with him.”

Do you think Jake Paul will need to use the rematch clause?

Dana White Supportive Of Long-Term Health Benefits For Retired Fighters

Dana WhiteDana White and the UFC have long caught slack for not offering medical benefits to retired fighters. But in a single word post from the UFC president, all that could change. Asked directly by a fan about the situation while participating in an impromptu Q&A session with Karyn Bryant over Instagram: “Will the UFC ever […]

Dana White

Dana White and the UFC have long caught slack for not offering medical benefits to retired fighters. But in a single word post from the UFC president, all that could change.

Asked directly by a fan about the situation while participating in an impromptu Q&A session with Karyn Bryant over Instagram:

“Will the UFC ever offer their fighters full time health benefits so they can have them after their careers are over and possibly deal with life altering issues from fighting (?).”

White responded with one poignant word, “Soon.”

White offered no other details or information, but the response is still incredibly impactful. He has not publicly acknowledged support for a fighter long-term benefits package since 2011. Before 2011, fighters only received medical coverage for injuries sustained directly during competition through the UFC’s insurance policy. Since the athletic commissions strictly enforced the policy, the promotion added additional training coverage to protect active fighters further. In the weeks that followed, White expressed openness to a long-term benefit and pension program for retired fighters in an interview.

If we can figure out something for a fighter pension, that’s something we’d love to do. But it goes right along with, ‘What do you think about a fighter’s union?’ That’s up to the fighters. That’s not up to me. I (couldn’t) care less. It doesn’t matter to us.”

“… We’re trying to prevent a situation where guys retire and they retire with nothing.”

 Since it would involve holding a portion of their current earnings to fund their future benefits, White expressed his concerns on fighter buy-in to a pension plan.

“Let me tell you what – fighters don’t want to share with anybody, and fighters don’t want us taking a piece of their money. Taking some out and saying, ‘We’re going to put it over here and invest it for you.’ Guys are like, ‘I need all that money, and I want it now.’ So it sounds like a great idea, and it sounds like something to do, but it’s a lot harder than people think.”

Though White’s support was clear, little publicly visible action has happened since. In fact, in 2016, White seemed less supportive of the move following comments made by Donald Cerrone. (H/T MMAJunkie)

“We have a health insurance plan now,” White said. “If anything happens to them in the octagon, they’re fully covered for anything. We cover everything that happens to them, but outside now we have a deal for when they’re training – because a lot of guys get hurt in training. Is it the greatest policy ever? No.”

“But let me tell you something: Don’t ever be mistaken about why insurance companies are in business. They’re in business to make money, and (when you insure them) you don’t make money on 500 ultimate fighters, because they’re always hurt.”

“… And when we talk about post-fight, ‘Cowboy’ and all the other fighters, you’re making a million-something (dollars) this year,” White said. 

“That is your retirement. You can’t live off the sponsorship money and throw $1.3 million in the bank? And do that for the next couple of years? And then hopefully invest your money wisely – that’s all of our situations, we’re all in that same situation.”

“When you look at these guys and you think a guy who never held the title, and a guy who has only headlined three events for the UFC is making millions of dollars.”

With California moving to add pension benefits for MMA fighters similar to what they currently offer boxers, it’s unclear if other commissions will follow suit. Still, many are hopeful that White’s recent comment is a precursor for positive changes to come.

Do you think that the UFC should be responsible for providing long-term health benefits to their retired fighters?

Colby Covington Accuses Kamaru Usman of Dodging Title Rematch

colby covingtonLooks like we haven’t seen the last of the Colby Covington vs. Kamaru Usman rivalry after Covington accused the welterweight champion of robbing him of a title rematch from their first fight at UFC 245. Covington has been sidelined from UFC action since his win over former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley at UFC Vegas 11 […]

colby covington

Looks like we haven’t seen the last of the Colby Covington vs. Kamaru Usman rivalry after Covington accused the welterweight champion of robbing him of a title rematch from their first fight at UFC 245.

Covington has been sidelined from UFC action since his win over former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley at UFC Vegas 11 last September. He is expected to be Usman’s next opponent after UFC president Dana White endorsed the rematch following the champion’s knockout win over Jorge Masvidal at UFC 261.

In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Covington gave some insight on the fight negotiations with Usman and accused the champion of avoiding an octagon sequel with him.

“Marty’s out there, the CEO of EPO, he doesn’t want to fight,” Covington said in an interview with MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn. “He wants to fight lightweights. He probably wants a trilogy with Masvidal. So, it’s a complete joke. I’m going to fight for a world title my next fight, whether it’s going to be Marty, where it’s going to be – we don’t know where, we don’t know who yet, but we will fight for the world title next.”

“He needs to come to see me. This is a fight the fans want to see and if he doesn’t want to fight me and he’s going to run off into the sunset because he’s scared I’m going to take his health, then that’s OK. But I’m still fighting for the world title my next fight, so we’re going to prepare as if we’re fighting for the world title next.”

Covington went on to say that Usman and his team don’t want a rematch due to his inactivity since his fight with Woodley. Covington was reportedly close to fighting Masvidal earlier this year, but negotiations on a fight between the two never materialized.

Usman earned the belt by dominating Woodley en route to a unanimous decision win at UFC 235. He would go on to face Covington in his first title defense, earning the TKO victory in Round 5 in one of the greatest title fights in recent memory.

It’s not exactly a secret that fans of both fighters and the sport, in general, want to see these two bitter rivals square off again in the UFC octagon. While it’s unclear as to why negotiations have stalled, the Covington rematch seems like the most likely next title defense for Usman.

Do you think the Colby Covington vs. Kamaru Usman rematch will happen later this year?

Dana White Confirms Kamaru Usman Will Defend UFC Welterweight Title Against Colby Covington Next

UsmanUFC president, Dana White appears to be keen to push through previously laid out plans for a UFC welterweight championship rematch between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington next — in a re-run of their UFC 245 clash back in December of 2019.  Headlining UFC 261 in April at a sold-out Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in […]

Usman

UFC president, Dana White appears to be keen to push through previously laid out plans for a UFC welterweight championship rematch between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington next — in a re-run of their UFC 245 clash back in December of 2019. 

Headlining UFC 261 in April at a sold-out Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida — defending welterweight kingpin, Usman scored a second career knockback against Jorge Masvidal, as he managed a massive second round knockout via a huge right hand and follow up ground strikes, rendering the Floridian unconscious.

Prior to the event, White had earmarked a rematch between Usman and Covington if the Auchi native was to overcome Masvidal in Jacksonville, and following his victory, the broadcast team immediately panned to Covington, who was sitting front row in attendance.

In their first showdown, Usman handed the former interim welterweight titleholder a brutal fifth and final round knockout, breaking his jaw earlier in the fight, which was hugely competitive, with many scoring the fight level between the two ahead of the final frame.

Following his stoppage of Masvidal, Usman maintained that he wasn’t shying away from a re-run against Covington, however, questioned what the outspoken wrestler had done to warrant a rematch, given the fact he had compete just three times since 2019.

I’m not going to say I don’t want the fight,” Usman said when speaking about a potential rematch with Covington. “I want all the smoke, It doesn’t matter who it is. I want all the smoke. At the end of the day, it’s what have you done to earn this?

Your claim to fame can’t be, ‘Oh, I went five rounds and then the guy broke my jaw and finished me,’” Usman explained. “That can’t be your claim to fame. (Jorge) Masvidal went five rounds with me too. Tyron Woodley went five rounds with me. You can’t sit around and fight three fights in three years and expect to get a title shot when I just fought three times in nine months. The champion can’t be the most active guy in the division.

Usman’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz had even mentioned a potential showdown between his client and the #6 ranked challenger, Michael Chiesa — possibly for UFC 263 on June 12. — however, that pairing failed to materialise, with the promotion instead booking a middleweight re-run between Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori as the event’s headliner.

Per a report from Yahoo! Sports reporter, Kevin Iole, the aforementioned, White had confirmed to him during an Instagram live session last night that former interim gold holder, Covington would challenge Usman for the undisputed welterweight crown next. 

With the promotion targeting a rematch of Usman and Covington, it will mark the second time Usman has attempted to defend his welterweight throne against the same opponent, following his April win over Masvidal which came after a July unanimous decision last year.

Headlining in his last Octagon walk, Covington met with former teammate and welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley at UFC Vegas 11 in September, besting the St. Louis native over five rounds in a one-sided grappling showcase, before Woodley suffered a rib injury, resulting in a TKO win for Covington.

Dana White Predicts Tyron Woodley Stops Jake Paul: Woodley Should Knock Him Out

WhiteUFC president, Dana White has given his thoughts on the recently booked professional boxing match between 3-0 boxer, Jake Paul and former organizational welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley — claiming that the professional debutante, Woodley should knock Paul out, despite his four-fight skid in professional mixed martial arts. Earlier this week reports emerged confirming that Paul […]

White

UFC president, Dana White has given his thoughts on the recently booked professional boxing match between 3-0 boxer, Jake Paul and former organizational welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley — claiming that the professional debutante, Woodley should knock Paul out, despite his four-fight skid in professional mixed martial arts.

Earlier this week reports emerged confirming that Paul and Woodley had agreed to meet in a professional boxing match under the Showtime banner, which will air on pay-per-view — with the former set for his fourth professional venture into the squared circle following an opening round knockout win over Woodley’s Roufusport teammate, Ben Askren in April at a Triller Fight Club event. 

The event, which is set to be promoted at a press conference this Friday in Miami, Florida — which will feature a face-off between Paul and Woodley is scheduled to take place on August 28. at a catchweight of 190lbs, within a 20×20 size boxing ring, with 10oz boxing gloves laced come fight night. 

Prior to his win over Askren two months ago, polarizing YouTuber, Paul had stopped former NBA player, Nate Robinson on the undercard of Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. last November, after a professional debut knockout stoppage over fellow YouTuber, AnEsonGib. 

For St. Louis veteran, Woodley, he makes his first walk inside the squared-circle professionally, having parted ways with the UFC in April of this year, ending an eight-year association with the mixed martial arts outfit.

The former undisputed welterweight kingpin had suffered four consecutive losses prior to his parting — the most recent of which came opposite surging contender, Vicente Luque on the main card of UFC 260 via a first round D’Arce choke despite a promising showing early. 

Appearing on Real Quick with Mike Swick recently, White gave his thoughts on the August showcase between Paul and Woodley, and predicted that the latter would manage to stop Paul with strikes. 

Tyron Woodley has punching power, and obviously, he’s put a lot of dudes to sleep in his career,” White said. “Tyron Woodley, doesn’t look like the Tyron Woodley of the past that was putting everybody to sleep. He hasn’t won a fight in three years, he’s gonna be 40-years-old, you know? But, I will give it to him (Jake Paul) he’s at least stepping in there with a guy who can punch.

I’d have to go with (Tyron) Woodley by knockout,” White continued. “Listen, man — Woodley should knock him out. But, again, the Tyron Woodley you talk about that was the champ, isn’t the same f*cking guy he was, you know, four years ago.”