UFC 296 aftermath
Following his defeat last night to the UFC Welterweight Champion, Leon Edwards, Colby Covington has now gone 0-3 when competing for gold. After failing to win the welterweight title at the T-Mobile Arena, he now finds himself at a crossroads regarding what to do next.
During the past few years, Covington’s trash-talk and high-output fighting style has seen him become must-see TV. He’s done a fantastic job of leaning into the heel persona and has earned himself plenty of enemies and detractors, but in the process, he has caused such a splash that many people tune in to his fights in the hope they’ll witness him get knocked out.
A lackluster performance against Leon Edwards is a big setback for Covington, who, at 35, will unlikely get the chance to fight for UFC gold again. Will he have the motivation to continue fighting? He certainly gave the impression he would in the UFC 296 post-fight press conference. Below, we look at some possible opponents for Covington in 2024.
Ian Machado Garry
Covington has had a lot to say during the past week about Garry’s relationship with his wife, comments which will have no doubt angered the Irishman. Both men are big talkers, however, with Garry on the rise, Covington may feel there would be little to gain with a victory over the number ten-ranked welterweight. Garry also has a fight booked in March at UFC 299 against Geoff Neal. Dana White announced the fight after last night’s card in Las Vegas after Garry withdrew from his bout with Vicente Luque at UFC 296 due to contracting pneumonia.
Shavkat Rakhmonov
Arguably the scariest challenger in the welterweight division. Following his victory over Stephen Thompson at UFC 296, Rakhmonov has put himself firmly in the title picture, extending his unblemished MMA record to 18-0, and has three submission victories in a row. He’s a versatile fighter who would present a mighty challenge to Leon Edwards.
There are a lot of rumors of the champion’s next title defense being against Belal Muhammad. Therefore, Shavkat may have to find another opponent in the meantime. Fighting Covington would make a lot of sense, as a win would cement Shavkat’s place in the top three welterweight rankings and significantly raise his profile.
Covington doesn’t seem too keen on fighting Shavkat, saying that the fight doesn’t make sense for him. It’s easy to see why Covington is of this opinion. Shavkat would be the favorite going into the fight and arguably the most formidable challenge for anybody in the division. Even if Covington were to defeat him, it probably wouldn’t put him back in the title picture.
Stephen Thompson
Wonderboy is most likely to be Covington’s next opponent, particularly following ‘Chaos’ comments in the UFC 296 post-fight press conference. The match-up makes sense as Covington and Thompson find themselves in a position where a title fight is off the horizon. It’s a fun fight, and Thompson is a big name. Turning 41 years old in February, Wonderboy’s MMA career will be winding down soon. A bout against Colby Covington would excite him, generate a lot of buzz with the fans, and could be placed high up on any card bar, perhaps UFC 300.
Sean Strickland
A fight with the middleweight champion is a long shot, but it could be possible down the line. Both men have traded verbal slurs over the past week, with Strickland launching a tirade during the UFC 2024 season press conference on Thursday, criticizing ‘Chaos’ for his comments about Leon Edwards’ deceased father.
If Strickland loses to Dricus du Plessis on January 20 at UFC 297, it’s unlikely he would be given an immediate rematch, so a fight with Covington could potentially happen. Weight would be a huge stumbling block due to the 15lb difference between welterweight and middleweight, and Covington is one of the smaller 170lb fighters and doesn’t cut weight. Everybody else on this list is far more likely to be an opponent for Covington.
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