The former Interim Welterweight Champion Colby Covington believes that he’s being treated like crap by the UFC.
As you’ve heard by now, the welterweight title match between Kamaru Usman and Covington was expected to take place at UFC 244; however, the fight ultimately fell apart behind the scenes and now the Madison Square Garden show will be headlined by Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz.
Covington explains why he turned down the title fight, stating that the company tried to lowball him with a weak money offer:
My side of the story is, I’m ready to fight, I was ready to fight, but the UFC came to be with the basic challenger’s offer,” Covington said on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show (via Nolan King of
MMA Junkie).
“I’m a champion. There was no negotiation. They came and ran at me and said, ‘Here, take this, or leave it and we’ll pass it on to the next person. That’s not fair negotiating and that’s not right. So I’m not going to take the first offer that you offer me.”
The former Interim UFC Welterweight Champion feels like the company is treating him like crap despite being a world champion:
“I have a world title and they still want to treat me like crap,” Covington said. “
They still want to not give me any room to negotiate and work. It’s not fair. The company is rolling in money. Thirty-percent growth last month. We all know the ESPN deal. They’re making so much money. They need to make this right.”
There’s no word on whether the welterweight fight between Usman and Covington will actually happen in the near future. Check out the full interview below: