The controversial interim welterweight champion didn’t hold back in his interview with MMA Hour.
If you haven’t heard by now, Kamaru Usman will be the next challenger to take on Tyron Woodley at UFC 235, which was made official over the weekend.
As you can imagine, Covington wasn’t thrilled that Usman was chosen over him. Covington won the interim belt back at UFC 225 over Rafael dos Anjos. The welterweight explained the situation following his surprising win and his possible reasoning on why he was snubbed from a bout against Woodley (Quote was translated by
MMAfighting):
“I was ready to fight in January in California and fight Woodley then,” Covington told the host on The MMA Hour.
“I was ready to fight in November. The only time I couldn’t fight is back in September in Dallas [at UFC 228], but I couldn’t fight because they offered me the fight on six weeks’ [notice] and I was already getting nose surgery. I couldn’t breathe out of my nose. I had mucus and blood draining down my nose into my lungs. I mean, I was at literally 30 percent.
Covington then also made a bold statement in regards to the UFC President, stating that he doesn’t believe White has the balls to release him from his contract:
“But let’s be honest: Dana, you don’t got the balls to release me. If you’re saying all of this stuff to the media, then release me. But you ain’t got the balls. You know I’m too valuable.”
Covington believes that he was snubbed from the title fight due to turning down the first offer back in September:
“I was in no shape to fight in September in Dallas,” Covington said.
“It wasn’t gonna happen, no chance. So if you want to punish me for not fighting in Dallas and [not] turning around on six weeks’ notice when I had surgery and was on every antibiotic and [drug] cocktail underneath the sun, then that’s cool. That’s your business decision. If you want to keep f*cking up your brand and moving shows from one city to another because a guy failed his third steroid test and he’s hitting pregnant ladies [in a] hit-and-run, so be it. I’m the ultimate professional. Show up on time, make weight, do everything they ask of me.
“Fly all over the country, fly all around the world, do whatever they want whenever they want. So, no big deal. If they don’t want a hard-working guy like me, then so be it. Where’s your balls? Show me your balls. If you’re so man[ly], you’re saying in all these videos that you don’t need me and I’m not worth anything and this and that, then let me go.”
“I’m standing [by] my guns. I’m not fighting for anything less than what I was promised and what I deserve — and that’s a title shot.”
Check out the entire MMA Hour video with Covington venting his frustration on not being named the next challenger for welterweight title.