Colby Covington is in desperate need of a win against a big opponent. This is not an overstatement considering how his recent form has panned out inside the Octagon. The former interim champ is on a two-fight skid, the latest coming at the hands of surging striker, Joaquin Buckley, as favorable a stylistic matchup as ‘Chaos’ would get in the division at the moment. But with the clock ticking on the 37-year-old’s career, and a title run out of reach, the Clovis native needs big clashes to stay relevant and make as much money as he can.
And to do this, the former interim welterweight champ has found the perfect opponent in the form of 185lbs juggernaut Sean Strickland. “It’s an interesting fight, I like that fight,” Covington told ‘Submission Radio’ in an interview. “I don’t see any danger out of him. He’s not, like, a power puncher, he’s just a cardio kickboxer. He comes forward, so you know, I know I could put him on his a– and I and I’ll match his pace. So, you know, if that’s what the UFC wants, I’d be willing to go up to middleweight.”
That does seem like a pretty good matchup for Covington. Strickland, after all, is as pure a striker as any in the MMA world, which is excellent for Covington and his chain-wrestling style. Not to mention, Strickland isn’t a power puncher. The thing ‘Tarzan’ excels at is defense and cardio. But Covington, of course, is well-known for his elite-level cardio, which makes Strickland an excellent opponent.
The only drawback is that the Strickland may just be too good for ‘Chaos’. Unlike almost every other UFC fighter, Covington fights around his walk-around weight give or take a few pounds. This means he isn’t a middleweight or a light heavyweight who fights at 170lbs. The American is a genuine welterweight which only makes their matchup even more exciting. And ‘Chaos’ needs all the exhilarating wins he can get as he is already planning for his post-UFC future.
Colby Covington reveals how long before he leaves the UFC
Colby Covington knows the clock is ticking on his career. In fact, the former interim champ thinks that he has “probably like two years” before he leaves the UFC. And where does the bombastic showman see his future? Why in the UFC’s sister TKO Holdings company, the WWE?
“I want to really start working on my in-ring wrestling and my crowd-pleasing ability in the next year or two. Maybe I’ll go up to Orlando and go to the WWE training center. But I want to really start perfecting my craft in WWE and the wrestling moves, and hopefully, I can make a transition in the next year or two,” Covington told fans on his YouTube channel.
Why not? After all, the American already plays a WWE-like character for fans’ benefit. In real life, Covington is apparently a very respectful and polite guy. But for marketing purposes, he plays a deliberately rude, loud-mouthed, and abrasive character. To be fair his promo-cutting skills may need some work, since Covington isn’t the smoothest of talkers, but has been playing a character for the past decade, and we know he can fight.
So what better way for him to make a living post-UFC than in the WWE? What do you think about Colby Covington’s thoughts on a Sean Strickland matchup?
The post “I Don’t See Any Danger” – Colby Covington Open to Huge Move for ‘Interesting’ Sean Strickland Showdown appeared first on EssentiallySports.