Colby Covington

UFC: With Chimaev out, Leon Edwards calls for a fight with Nate Diaz

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Leon Edwards

Yesterday, we found out that the UFC headliner between Leon Edwards (18-3) and Khamzat Chimaev (9-0) is off. The headliner was scheduled to take place on March 13th. This is the third time that the fight has fallen through.

After the first two cancellations, the UFC made it clear that they wanted to keep that fight together. However, after this third cancellation, the promotion is moving on from this matchup for now. The promotion is still hoping to keep Edwards in the main event on March 13th.

Since the news broke yesterday, UFC match makers have been trying to get Edwards a new fight. ESPN’s Ariel Helwani said this morning that Edwards’ reps have said they are interested in only three fighters. Those three fighters are Colby Covington, Jorge Masvidal, and Nate Diaz (20-12).

The UFC is currently working on booking Covington – Masvidal so the likelihood of one of them taking the fight is low. Given the status of all the other top contenders in the division, there isn’t a clear opponent for Edwards at this time.

Edwards took to Twitter this morning to vocalize who he wants to fight next. Edwards made it very clear that he wants to face Stockton’s Nate Diaz on March 13th.

Will the UFC make this fight?

In reality, there’s actually a high probability that the UFC attempts to make this fight. This week, Diaz came out and said that he wanted to fight Charles Oliveira or Dustin Poirier at 170 pounds. He said he’s only interested in fighting winners and he wants to fight at welterweight.

Well, Charles Oliveira said yesterday that he has no interest in fighting Diaz. It’s also been reported that the UFC is heading down the path of booking the trilogy between Poirier and Conor McGregor. That takes away both of the callouts for Nate Diaz.

That’s where Leon Edwards enters the equation perfectly. Edwards is on an eight-fight win streak and he’s currently ranked third in the welterweight division. If Diaz is interested in making his return at 170 pounds and against a winner, it doesn’t get much better than Leon Edwards.

Both of these top UFC fighters need a fight and neither one of them have a clear next opponent. The writing is on the wall to make this matchup. If this fight does get made, I would expect it to happen sooner than later. This will definitely be a situation to follow in the coming days.

 

What’s next Michael Chiesa after UFC Fight Island 8?

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Yesterday, Michael Chiesa (18-4) remained unbeaten at welterweight. In the main event of UFC Fight Island 8, Chiesa took on Neil Magny (24-8). Magny entered the contest on a three-fight win streak after a sensational 2020.

Both men ranked just inside the top ten of the UFC‘s welterweight division. Whoever won this fight was poised to make a run at a top five opponent in their next one. Originally, I thought Magny would have the advantage in a decision fight.

Magny has five-round experience while Chiesa has never gone past the third round. Combine that with the fact that Magny had an active 2020 while Chiesa recovered from injuries and I thought this was going to be Magny’s fight.

I was wrong about that one. At UFC Fight Island 8, Michael Chiesa delivered a fantastic performance that saw him win four of the five rounds on all three judges scorecards. Chiesa looked incredibly in the UFC main event yesterday.

I was really impressed with his ability to land shots on Magny while closing the distance. In addition to that, Chiesa also did a number on Magny in dominating the grappling exchanges. Michael Chiesa made a statement with his win and his callout yesterday after the fight.

What’s next after UFC Fight Island 8?

In his post-fight interview, Chiesa made a big callout of Colby Covington (16-2). The former interim UFC welterweight champion currently doesn’t have a fight lined up and Chiesa made it clear that he wants that fight.

Unfortunately for him, I don’t believe he’s getting that fight. The UFC has made it very clear that they are trying to book Covington against his rival and former friend, Jorge Masvidal (35-14).

With Covington not an option, the UFC has a couple of options in my opinion. In a few weeks, Kamaru Usman (17-1) is defending his welterweight title against Gilbert Burns (19-3). Depending on how that fight goes, I could see the promotion giving Chiesa the loser of that fight.

Another option could be Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (16-4-1). Wonderboy also doesn’t have a fight, but he’s dealing with some injuries and his timetable for a return is uncertain. Should he be able to go relatively soon, that would be another fun matchup for Chiesa.

UFC rebooks headliner between Khamzat Chimaev and Leon Edwards

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Today is one of the first days the UFC is back on Fight Island and they kicked it off with a bang. Dana White confirmed with MMA Junkie this morning that the promotion has rebooked Khamzat Chimaev (9-0) – Leon Edwards (18-3).

This will be the third time that the UFC is attempting to book this fight. The two will now headline the March 13th Fight Night. March is starting to look like it’s going to be a massive month for the UFC.

As mentioned, this is the third time that this fight is booked. Originally, this fight was supposed to take place in December. However, Edwards tested positive for COVID and the fight was scrapped.

Then the UFC rebooked the fight for the January 20th card. Chimaev also came down with COVID and he was not able to make the date. So, the promotion scrapped the fight for a second time.

There was brief discussions about keeping Edwards on next week’s card, however, the UFC really wanted to keep the two paired. As a result, they started working on new potential dates and landed on March 13th.

UFC Title Eliminator

A few months ago, I would have bet my house that the UFC title eliminator at welterweight would have been Colby Covington (16-2) – Jorge Masvidal (35-14). The promotion is still working on that fight, however, it hasn’t been booked.

The next welterweight title fight takes place at UFC 258 in February. Given the timeline of this new Chimaev – Edwards headliner, I believe that the winner will likely be the next in line for the welterweight championship.

Chimaev has taken the UFC by storm since his debut in July on Fight Island. Three incredibly dominant performances have turned him into a superstar. If he’s able to defeat Edwards, his stock is going to be astronomically high.

However, that’s not going to be an easy task. While not the sexiest name in the division, Edwards has won an incredible eight-straight at welterweight. Should he derail the hype train of Chimaev, there’s no denying him of a title shot. I’m pumped for this one.

Could Masvidal – Covington be the first UFC event in the US with fans?

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One of the more anticipated UFC matchups of 2021 is the proposed welterweight contest between Jorge Masvidal (35-14) and Colby Covington (16-2). The two former best friends are now bitter enemies.

The UFC has been trying to make this fight for the last couple of months. However, getting the fight booked is a lot easier said than done. Last week, Covington told Submission Radio that Masvidal was the reason for the fight being delayed. 

There has been no word from the Masvidal camp on the delay. All we know is that the UFC has been working on the fight and Dana White said just last week that it was the fight to make in that division.

Jorge Masvidal did take to Twitter with an interesting statement a few days ago. He tweeted to the American Airlines Arena asking for them to allow an event with a full crowd in attendance. Masvidal pointed to the state of Florida being opened up as his reasoning.

This tweet did get me thinking of the possibility. Florida was the first state to welcome in the UFC when the pandemic shut things down. UFC 249 and the first couple of events took place in Jacksonville with the state allowing the promotion to host the events.

Florida is also one of the states that is pushing to get things back to normal. It would be fitting to see Florida be the first state to welcome back a full UFC crowd. And there wouldn’t be a better fight to make it happen.

Hurdles for the UFC

Having the first UFC event back with fans in Miami with Masvidal and Covington headlining would be a dream for the promotion. The fight would do extremely well and they could sell it as, “Who is the king of Miami?”

However, there are many hurdles. Dana White has said that he will not have crowds back until he’s allowed to have a fully packed venue. We’ve seen boxing matches so far and other sporting events have limited attendance.

White is not a fan of that. For the UFC, he either wants it to be completely sold out or no one there at all. My guess is that Florida would be willing to do it, but it would require a lot more than just the state signing off.

The arena, other fighters, and other personnel would have to sign off on the UFC hosting that kind of event. With all of the hurdles, I’m not sure it’s likely to happen. At least not anytime soon.

However, I do believe that this would be the perfect fight and the perfect location for the UFC to welcome back a full crowd to US events. Time will tell if it could become a reality, but it’s definitely something to keep in mind.

UFC officially books welterweight title fight between Kamaru Usman – Gilbert Burns

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The UFC has finalized a big-time title fight in their welterweight division. While it’s been rumored, the promotion officially finalized the welterweight title fight this evening between Kamaru Usman (17-1) and Gilbert Burns (19-3).

ESPN’s Brett Okamoto was the first to break the news that the fight was officially booked. The fight will take place at UFC 258 on February 13th. Usman will be seeking his third successful title defense at welterweight.

Back at UFC 251, Usman successfully defended his title against Jorge Masvidal. However, it was originally supposed to be Gilbert Burns taking on Usman in July. Burns tested positive for COVID-19 just one week before the fight.

Due to the positive test, the UFC pivoted to Masvidal who was the promotion’s first choice to begin with. Prior to the positive COVID test, Gilbert Burns appeared to be on his way to winning fighter of the year in 2020.

Burns started the year by starching Demian Maia then he completely dominated former welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley. Gilbert Burns looks like a completely different fighter in the UFC‘s welterweight division.

In 2020, Burns showed off drastically improved striking. He showed off his speed and his power. That evolved striking pairs nicely with his world class skills on the ground. Burns is the most dangerous challenger for Usman in the UFC.

Big test for the UFC champion

As mentioned, Usman has successfully defended his title twice. Once against Masvidal and the other against Colby Covington at UFC 245. Covington pushed Usman to the limit, but the champion never broke and finished Covington in the fifth round.

Usman is known for his smothering wrestling style that just doesn’t allow his opponents to breathe. However, as he showed in the Covington fight, he is not opposed to letting his hands go if he needs to.

That said, there is no secret to Usman’s game plan. He’s going to look to bully Burns at UFC 258 and hope that his wrestling and strength will allow him to get the advantage. Burns’ tremendous skills on the ground make this matchup so fascinating. I’m pumped up for this one.

State of the UFC’s welterweight division entering 2021

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Overall, 2020 turned out to be a relatively slow year in the UFC‘s welterweight division. After Kamaru Usman (17-1) and Colby Covington (16-2) had a war to end 2019 for the title, we only saw one title fight in the division during 2020.

That title fight took place at UFC 251. Kamaru Usman defended his title against the BMF himself, Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal (35-14). Masvidal had a massive 2019 that made him the top contender in the welterweight division.

However, putting the fight with Usman together proved to be difficult. The fight actually fell apart before it came back together. Negotiations broke down between the UFC and Masvidal when the two sides were trying to make the fight.

As a result, the promotion shifted gears to Gilbert Burns (19-3). Burns became a top contender after he smashed former champion Tyron Woodley (19-6-1) and knocked out Demian Maia (28-10).

Burns was all set to take the fight against Usman at UFC 251. However, Burns tested positive for COVID and the fight was scrapped. That’s how we ultimately got back to the fight between Usman and Masvidal.

UFC’s Welterweight Division in 2021

Usman would go on to use his steady wrestling attack to secure a decision win over Masvidal at UFC 251. However, Usman would be out the remainder of 2020 after getting banged up in the fight.

Tentatively, the UFC is planning on Usman and Burns facing off on February 13th for the welterweight title. The promotion also has their eyes on a grudge match in the division that promises to be big business.

The UFC is trying to book Masvidal against Covington. The two former best friends are now sworn enemies and can’t stand each other. The promotion has been trying to put the fight together, but it’s developed extremely slow.

That fight is one of the more anticipated matchups of 2021. Another fighter to watch this upcoming year is Leon Edwards (18-3). Edwards has won eight fights in a row and he was supposed to take on the star prospect, Khamzat Chimaev (9-0) on January 20th.

However, we learned yesterday that Chimaev had to pull out of the fight. The plan is still for Edwards to fight on January 20th. In addition to all of these contenders, you still have Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (16-4-1) in the mix.

Wonderboy just picked up a shutout victory over Geoff Neal at UFC Vegas 17. Thompson has turned away two straight top contenders to show everyone he’s still a factor at 170 pounds.

Kamaru Usman’s toughest stylistic matchup is his first fight of the year. After Burns, the division is filled with killers waiting for their chance. Usman is going to have his hands full trying to hold on to his UFC gold in 2021.

UFC: Colby Covington says Jorge Masvidal is the reason their fight isn’t booked

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UFC, Colby Covington

Arguably the most anticipated UFC matchup of 2021 is the potential welterweight matchup between Colby Covington (16-2) and Jorge Masvidal (35-14). The former close friends who now have become bitter enemies.

Originally, the UFC was working on the Nate Diaz rematch for Jorge Masvidal a couple of months ago. However, the promotion switched gears after Colby Covington completely dominated Tyron Woodley.

Dana White came out and said that the UFC was working on Covington – Masvidal. Yet, here we are a couple of months later and no fight has been booked yet. It’s the logical fight to make, but nothing is even close to getting done.

Covington appeared on Submission Radio this week and said that he was approached with the fight two months ago. He said that he accepted, but they’ve heard radio silence from the Masvidal camp for two months.

As a result, he hasn’t heard any updates from the UFC since he originally accepted the fight. Covington made it very clear that he wants this fight and he believes that Masvidal is dodging him to avoid taking another loss.

“I’ve wanted this fight from day one. I’ve been on board since I finished Tyron Woodley. Street Judas Masvidal is ducking me. He had a lot to say before. Where is he now? He’s no where to be found. He’s the so called, ‘BMF’, I don’t even know what that means. That just means Broke and Mediocre Fighter,” Covington said.

UFC’s Grudge Match

From everything that’s been gathered, the UFC was trying to book the matchup for the first quarter of 2021. The likely month would have been February, but given Covington’s comments, it’s appearing unlikely.

There have been rumors of the two potential coaching The Ultimate Fighter. Covington said in the interview that he would be very interested in that opportunity if that is what the UFC wanted to do.

It’s worth noting that Masvidal just signed a new contract before his title fight with Kamaru Usman so you can’t imagine it’s a money thing. We don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes, but we do know that the fight hasn’t been booked yet.

I think this situation is going to get resolved sooner than later. It’s a massive fight for the UFC to put together and it’s the perfect title eliminator for the welterweight division.

What’s next for Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson after UFC Vegas 17 win?

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This past Saturday at UFC Vegas 17, Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (16-4-1) took on Geoff Neal (13-3). It was the first fight of 2020 for both of these top welterweight contenders.

For the second straight fight, Wonderboy was tasked with taking on a rising UFC welterweight contender. At UFC 244, Thompson took on Vicente Luque (19-7-1). Entering that fight, Luque was riding a six-fight winning streak.

However, Wonderboy stopped all of that momentum last November. With clean counters and advanced speed, Wonderboy was able to turn away Luque. Geoff Neal entered UFC Vegas 17 on a seven-fight winning streak.

Neal had looked like a destroyer and nobody in the UFC‘s welterweight division wanted to fight him. However, Wonderboy Thompson was down for the challenge. The two men fought for 25 minutes on Saturday night.

In the end, Wonderboy completely outclassed the dangerous Geoff Neal. Wonderboy put on a clinic from start to finish. He was able to keep the fight at range the entire time and he picked apart Neal from the outside.

Every time that Neal would try to dart in, Wonderboy wasn’t there. Whenever Wonderboy did stay put, he sat down on his combinations and touched Neal up. An incredible performance from the former title challenger at UFC Vegas 17.

What’s next after UFC Vegas 17?

First and foremost, we need to find out the health status of Stephen Thompson. In his post-fight press conference, Wonderboy said that he might have torn something in his knee at UFC Vegas 17.

Thompson did struggle with his knee in the final round of the fight. However, if that knee checks out and he’s ready to rock, what should be next? Wonderboy made his callout after the fight asking for the rematch with Jorge Masvidal. 

The UFC’s BMF and Wonderboy fought back in 2017 with Thompson picking up the win. Currently, the UFC is targeting a matchup between Masvidal and Colby Covington. However, if that fight doesn’t come together, a Wonderboy fight makes a lot of sense.

Outside of that, another fight that could make sense is the winner of the Leon Edwards – Khamzat Chimaev fight. Although, the winner of that fight will likely get a UFC title shot if Covington – Masvidal hasn’t happened anytime soon.

Unfortunately for Wonderboy, all five of the fighters ahead of him in the division are tentatively booked. I would expect Wonderboy to wait for one of those winners. With a win, he could be in line for another shot at the UFC welterweight strap.

UFC’s The Ultimate Fighter officially returns in March of 2021

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UFC, Dana White

Tonight on the UFC Vegas 12 broadcast, it was officially announced that The Ultimate Fighter would be returning in March of 2021. The Ultimate Fighter will feature fighters in the men’s bantamweight division and the middleweight division.

The UFC‘s reality show will air exclusively on ESPN+. On the broadcast, it was announced that the UFC is currently conducting virtual auditions for the show. The announcement was made tonight for the show, but there was one thing missing.

The UFC did not announce who would be the coaches for the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter. There has been plenty of speculation about who could be the coaches. However, we were left in the dark on that one.

The show has produced some of the best fighters the promotion has ever seen. Guys like Kamaru Usman and Tony Ferguson are two that come to mind. UFC champions have been bred from The Ultimate Fighter, and it’s very exciting that the UFC is officially bringing it back to ESPN+.

Who will be the UFC’s coaches?

While there were no official announcements from the UFC, we can certainly start to speculate on who will coach the next season of TUF. One option that sticks out in my mind would be to have Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns coach the next season.

The two were originally supposed to fight at UFC 256, however the fight was scrapped due to some lingering injuries for Burns. We don’t know when exactly the fight will take place. However, if it can’t take place until April, that would be an option for the promotion.

A sexier option could be to have Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington coach the next season. Masvidal has blossomed into one of the biggest stars in the sport. Colby Covington who’s his former friend has turned into his biggest rival.

The UFC is currently working to book those two in a fight against each other, but nothing is finalized. Perhaps they could coach the next season of TUF to build that fight up even more. However, I’m not sure the UFC will want to push the fight that far out.

Another possibility would be Israel Adesanya and Jan Blachowicz. Tonight, the promotion announced that Adesanya would be moving up to light heavyweight to challenge Blachowicz next year. Could be another avenue for the promotion to build up one of their biggest stars.

What should happen with the UFC 256 main event?

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UFC, Dana White

Yesterday, news broke that the welterweight title fight between Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns at UFC 256 was off. That title fight was set to be the main event for the promotions December PPV event scheduled for December 12th.

Amanda Nunes – Megan Anderson for the UFC‘s featherweight title remains on that card. However, I don’t think it’s likely that the UFC moves forward with Nunes – Anderson as the main event of that PPV. I think they have higher profile fights in mind.

ESPN reported yesterday that the UFC was considering a number of options. One option they were considering was Stipe Miocic – Francis Ngannou 2 for the heavyweight title. Another option the UFC was looking at was having Jorge Masvidal – Colby Covington headline that card.

Both of these fights are fantastic options. However, it appears that the UFC heavyweight title fight will not happen until 2021 as of now. Masvidal – Covington is a very real possibility as the UFC has been working hard to book that fight.

What should the UFC do?

While both of these options are great, I think there is a clear path for the promotion. That path would have UFC 256 headlined by the rematch between Conor McGregor (22-4) and Dustin Poirier (26-6, 1 NC). Both men have recently agreed to a charity MMA match.

That charity MMA match was set to be on 12/12 which is the same date as UFC 256. McGregor obviously suggested that date to stick it to the promotion after the recent public back and forth. Poirier agreed to the date for the charity match.

Conor McGregor belongs in the UFC. Despite everything, he’s still the cash cow for the promotion. The UFC is booming and they’ve proved they don’t need McGregor, but if you can get him back in the octagon, you need to do it.

Not only would this be a fun fight for fans, but it would be the right fight for the division. Both men are near the top of the lightweight division, and whoever wins would have a real claim to be the number one contender to whoever wins at UFC 254.

Poirier was originally supposed to fight Tony Ferguson. However, that fight fell apart due to financial negotiations. I don’t see financial reasons being what stops this fight from happening. For the hell of it, why not put Tony Ferguson – Michael Chandler on the same card at UFC 256? This is the path I would go down if I was the UFC.