COLBY COVINGTON’S LOPSIDED victory over Robbie Lawler last weekend has secured his welterweight title shot against Kamaru Usman, UFC president Dana White confirmed on Tuesday night.
The American added the former 170lbs champion to a string of impressive victories over the last two years – a list that includes the likes of former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos, Demian Maia and Dong Hyun Kim.
Covington picked up the unanimous decision in Newark and speaking to reporters after the latest episode of Dana White’s Contender Series, the 50-year-old agreed that it made sense for the former interim champion to get another shot at gold.
“That’s why I put Covington on ESPN against a guy like Lawler,” he said.
You can say whatever you want about Covington, you don’t like him, you don’t this, that, or whatever — he put on a clinic against Lawler, who is a beast.
“Lawler’s been in all the big fights. Former world champion, hits like a truck and Colby completely shut him down.
“His cardio was impressive and the way that he beat Lawler was even more impressive.”
Both Covington and Usman had targeted the UFC 244 card this November in Madison Square Garden, also featuring the hotly anticipated clash between light-heavyweights Johnny Walker and Corey Anderson.
Asked whether the welterweight title fight would possibly headline or feature on the card, White said: “We’ll see.”
Former champion Tyron Woodley also remains on the fringes of a 170lbs title shot, while Jorge Masvidal has called for his shot against Usman after back-to-back knockout victories over Ben Askren and Darren Till.
“You can’t make ultimatums,” White responded when asked about Masvidal’s request for a fight against the welterweight champion or former two-weight champion, Conor McGregor.
“We’re going to offer him a fight and if he accepts the fight, he does. If he doesn’t, he doesn’t.”