Leon Edwards believes Colby Covington was only handed the title shot against him because he made the most noise out of all the welterweights in the division.
‘Rocky’ is set to make his second 170lbs title defense later this month when he faces Covington at UFC 296 in Las Vegas. The bout marks a return to action for ‘Chaos’, who hasn’t stepped into the octagon since his victory over Jorge Masvidal in March last year.
Covington being handed another title opportunity has irked several fighters and fans alike, as he’s previously fought for the belt twice, failing to beat then champion Kamaru Usman on both occasions.
In a recent interview with Rio Ferdinand and TNT Sports, Leon Edwards addressed the situation. He stated that Covington was only given the fight due to his loud and brash personality. ‘Rocky’ also admitted he’s relishing the opportunity to silence his upcoming opponent. He said:
Edwards continued:
“I’m excited to go out there and shut him up and continue my reign. I can’t lose to him, I won’t lose to him.”
Catch Edward’s comments here (5:30):
UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has backed his fellow countryman Leon Edwards to get the job done against Colby Covington at UFC 296. Aspinall discussed the fight in a recent interview with All Out Fighting, where he was asked for his breakdown of the matchup.
The interim heavyweight champ said he expects Leon Edwards to pick up the victory, highlighting ‘Rocky’s’ fight IQ and his ability to strategize inside the octagon. He said:
“Yeah, I think, I definitely think he can win. I definitely think he’s going to win. I think that Leon is – he’s just a slick operator, man. He just fights with his brain which is great, like I think that’s amazing. I think that Leon’s just going to outsmart him. I think that he might get taken down a few times in the fight, you know Colby’s a great wrestler and stuff. But I think that he’s going to walk in something. I think that Leon’s going to set traps as he does and he’s going to catch him before the five rounds is up and he’ll finish him.”
Catch Tom Aspinall’s comments here (9:20):
