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Leon Edwards is currently under fire from Colby Covington for refusing to offer him a championship opportunity regardless of UFC President Dana White has previously declared him a potential contender.
At UFC 286 in March of this year, Edwards successfully dispatched Kamaru Usman by majority decision. The current welterweight champion has indicated that Covington, 35, does not meet the standards of a championship opportunity and that he is not enthusiastic about facing him.
Edwards discussed Colby's absence and their future battle with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour:
“He’s getting rewarded for not taking fights. When it was me, I got removed from the rankings. So this Dana White privilege is definitely real.”
After Edwards successfully defended his title at UFC 286, it was UFC President Dana White who declared during the post-fight press briefing that Covington would serve as Edwards' upcoming opponent. After UFC 287 over the weekend, White appeared to reaffirm his commitment to the Covington vs. Edwards bout, even speculating that it would take place at the O2 Arena in London, England, in July.
"London has been incredible to us. It's been amazing. We're supposed to have a Fight Night in July. I want it to be a pay-per-view."
Covington responded on Twitter to Edwards' refusal to allow him a crack at the championship by saying that he doesn't think he earned it. Covington drew analogies from the past and stated that he would continue to fight for the chance to win the welterweight championship.
"Don’t want to give me a title shot mumble mouth? I recall the British not wanting to give Americans our freedom either... So we took it. See you in July junior."
If the fight with "Chaos" emerges, the event will probably shift away from being a UFC Fight Night to a pay-per-view as "Rocky" is the current welterweight champion and battles out of England. The UFC may make greater money and attract a lot of attention with Edwards vs. Covington.
It remains to be seen how the fight will play out, but one thing is for certain: there will be no shortage of drama in the lead-up to the potential fight. Whether fans love him or hate him, Covington has established himself as one of the most polarizing figures in MMA, and his feud with Edwards is only adding to his reputation as a trash-talking, controversy-courting fighter.