Colby Covington confident he’d KO Islam Makhachev if the lightweight champ moved up: “I think I dust him inside of three rounds”
Colby Covington doubts Islam Makhachev would move up to welterweight, but if he does he believes it would be an easy fight for him.
Makhachev is the current UFC lightweight champion and is expected to face the winner of Charles Oliveira vs. Beneil Dariush in October. After that, it’s uncertain who would be next and although there has been talk of Islam fighting at 170 before, Covington doubts that will happen.
However, if Makhachev does indeed decide to move up to welterweight, Covington is interested in that fight as he believes it’s an easy matchup for him.
“It would play out the same way that the guy knocked him out last time he got beat in the UFC Octagon played out. I trained that guy, Adriano (Martins) for that fight. I was telling him the whole time, I was like dude, check right hook, just hit a right hook. He’s not ready for that. He’s not keeping his left hand high. That’s what Adriano did,” Covington said to LowKick MMA. “Went out there and knocked him out. He’s a southpaw like myself and (Makhachev) doesn’t do good against southpaws. Look how much trouble he was having with that little, short midget from Australia, Volkanovski. Dude, he’s a 145 featherweight and you want to come to 170 now and talk this big game. He knows what would happen, just like his daddy Khabib knew. That’s why Khabib never came to 170. Because he knew King Colby was here. He knew he couldn’t outwrestle me and that’s what those guys from Dagestan do.
“They try to outwrestle these guys. I’m a way better wrestler and my accolades speak for themselves. Division I All-American national champion. Could have been a freakin’ Olympic champion if I had went for it, but I rather fight in the UFC because it’s the best organization in the world. The matchups great,” Covington continued. “I love the matchup. Makhachev can’t beat me in wrestling. He can’t beat me in striking and he definitely can’t beat me in jiu-jitsu. It’s a pretty easy matchup for me. I think I dust him inside of three rounds and it would be an easy first title defense and a big one. Champion vs. champion. He’s earned his stripes in this company, but there’s a guy that’s just a little bit better than him and that’s the reason why he ain’t came up to 170 yet.”
Of course, before any of that can happen, Colby Covington will need to secure the title fight against Leon Edwards and then go on to win it. But, ‘Chaos’ is confident he has all the tools to become the champ and then KO Makhachev in his first title defense if the Dagestani native does decide to chase ‘champ-champ’ status.
How do you think a fight between Colby Covington and Islam Makhachev would play out?
