Colby Covington Open To Leon Edwards Fight But Won't 'Show Up For Charity'

Mandatory Credit: Jeff Bottari - Zuffa LLC

For former interim UFC welterweight champion, Colby Covington to match with recent UFC Vegas 21 headliner, Leon Edwards, the promotion know what they need to put up according to the Clovis native -- reiterating that he won't "show up for charity" against the Birmingham native.

Targeted to headline Saturday's event at the UFC Apex against the surging contender, Covington had infamously told how he refused to do "charity" for Edwards by accepting the matchup, on what would've been just three-weeks notice, with the #13 ranked, Belal Muhammad ultimately drawing Edwards instead.

In need of possibly a singular victory in order to stamp his title credentials at 170-pounds, things couldn't have gone worse for Edwards, arguably -- with the curtain closer declared a 'No Contest' amid a rather worrying eye poke suffered by Muhammad. Edwards, who then claimed that the result was now "nine in a row" for him -- has voiced his disinterest in running things back with Muhammad, with sights fixated on a title tilt instead.

Clovis native, Covington, who is fresh from a September rib injury TKO win over former champion, Tyron Woodley, has claimed that Edwards should rematch Muhammad, but also noted that if the UFC want to pit him with the 29-year-old Team Renagade BJJ & MMA staple, "they know what they can do".

"Yeah, definitely. They (the UFC) know what they can do, man," Covington said during a recent interview with Submission Radio. "They know what they can do to get me to show up for that fight (with Leon Edwards). But I'm not showing up for charity, guys."

"The guy (Edwards) still hasn't won in two years," Covington explained. "A 'No Contest', that's not a win, that's not a fight. You need to come back and get a win. He needs to rematch that Bailey (Belal Muhammad) guy, they need to fight again. That Bailey guy was talking all reckless all week, saying, 'Oh Colby, if I saw that guy on the streets, I'd slap him. I'd do this.' Bro, are you kidding me? Dustin Poirier and Jorge Masvidal said the same thing. 'Oh it's on sight, I'm going to smack Colby when I see him in the streets.' But then when they see me it's head down. Pipe down little boy."

Calling for a rematch between Edwards and Muhammad to take place next, Covington also linked himself to a possible title rematch with Kamaru Usman, or former American Top Team teammate, Jorge Masvidal.

"These little boys, they talk reckless in the media, but then when they see each other it's not the same energy, it's a different energy," Covington said. "So these guys are talking reckless out there. Re-run that Leon fight vs. Bailey because nobody gives a sh*t about it, nobody wants to watch that hot garbage. The only fight to make is me vs. Marty Fakenewsman (Kamaru Usman) or maybe vs. Street Judas Masvidal (Jorge Masvidal)."