UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman and former UFC Interim Welterweight Champion Colby Covington were expected to clash at UFC 244, but negotiations fell through and the bout wasn’t made.
Former UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley believes that Covington has talked himself out of three different title shots.
“He’s talked himself out of three world title fights,” Woodley said at the UFC Fight Night Vancouver Fan Q&A (via Steven Marrocco & Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie). “He was supposed to fight me before he fought (Darren) Till. He (expletive) out of that fight. He was supposed to fight me before I fought Usman. He (expletive) out of that fight. You guys can do the math on what he did in the Usman fight.”
Covington blamed the UFC’s lack of negotiation as the reason that the UFC 244 title bout fell through.
If Woodley were to regain the UFC Welterweight Title, it could mean that Covington has a longer wait to get his shot.
“After I get my belt and defend, if I fight Usman and beat him, I’ve got to give him that rubber match,” he said. “I can’t just say, nah-nah-nah, you can’t get me. I’ve got to give him a chance to get back out there and prove it. Then fighting Colby obviously. And then I’m looking at 185 after that.”
Usman has yet to defend the UFC Welterweight Title since winning it with a unanimous decision win over Woodley at UFC 235.
