Colby Covington confirms middleweight move, targets two ex-champs as debut fight

Colby Covington will be making the move to middleweight.

Covington is coming off a loss to Joaquin Buckley over a year ago and hasn’t fought since. However, there hasn’t been much news on his next fight, but he said he will be moving up to middleweight next.

With Covington changing divisions, he has his eyes on former champions Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland for his first fight.

“I think someone like Israel Adesanya intrigues me, a former champion like myself, someone that generates hype, has a following, has a platform and a brand,” Covington told Submission Radio. “So, I think the Izzy fight makes a lot more sense than anything, and it’s someone I really don’t like.

“He’s talked a lot of sh*t about me in the past, so let’s see if he can actually back that sh*t talk up. I would love that (Sean Strickland) fight. He’s a cardio kickboxer. I’d beat him everywhere. You see what Dricus (Du Plessis) did to him. I’d to do the same thing.”

Although Covington wants Adesanya or Strickland next, it’s uncertain if he will get either.

Colby Covington expects to do well at middleweight

With Covington set to move up to middleweight, he has full faith he will do well in his new division.

Covington believes he can make an immediate impact, which is why he wants a big name in his debut fight.

“I know I can do well at middleweight,” Covington said. “Those guys are a lot slower. They may be bigger, they may hit harder, but they’re a lot slower. I’m just as strong as them. I’m putting on a lot of size these days and getting stronger.

“I feel like there’s a lot more enticing matchups in the middleweight division right now than there is in the welterweight division. There’s just no stars. It’s sad that there are no stars in the welterweight division, so I think I’m going to have to go up to middleweight to get some big fights.”

Covington is 17-5 as a pro and coming off a TKO loss to Buckley.