Covington Addresses Rumors of Usman Matchup: Tyron Woodley Is The Only Person I'm Fighting

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship interim welterweight champ Colby Covington says he is open to fighting undisputed champion Tyron Woodley at UFC 233 on Jan. 26 -- if Woodley will accept the fight.

“Chaos” was a guest on The MMA Hour on Monday and said he’s the next in line to fight the champ despite UFC President Dana White suggesting Kamaru Usman could get the opportunity with his dominant win over Rafael dos Anjos last month.

Covington, who also has a victory in his last fight against Dos Anjos told host Luke Thomas that he was healthy and ready to go for a fight against Woodley at UFC 233 after the cards original main event flyweight championship bout between Henry Cejudo and bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw was shifted to headline the promotion’s ESPN+ debut in Brooklyn on Jan. 19. (Courtesy of MMA Fighting) “As far as I’m concerned, yeah it is on the table,” Covington said. “I would fight Tyron Woodley there, but I can’t speak the same for him. I know we don’t agree on a lot but we do agree on one thing: we are fighting each other next. He wants to punch me in the face, but that’s not gonna happen. These moves right here, he can’t punch me in the face, he’s not going to be able to touch me. That’s what it is.”

Covington believes Woodley is ducking him which is why the UFC haven’t sent him the contract with his name on it.

“What’s going on at welterweight is the same thing that’s been going on for the last year or two,” Covington said. “I’ve been waiting for the UFC to send me a contract with Tyron Woodley’s name on it and he’s not signing the contract. He’s been kind of ducking and waiting. He’s trying to pick his spots. He’s trying to go to TMZ and still have that title as champion, so he’s just trying to get these cameos over in Hollywood. He doesn’t want to fight, he’s not here to make the welterweight division great again like myself. That’s what’s going on, I’m waiting for him. We’re fighting next, I don’t care what it is.

“This fight has built itself the last two years -- let me stop,” Covington added. “I built this fight for the last two years. This fight sells itself, it’s the next fight, it doesn’t matter if me and Tyron Woodley fight in the UFC or we fight in a CVS, I’m fighting Tyron Woodley next.”

“Chaos” also believes Woodley strategically picks and chooses who and when he fights to give himself the best chance of winning.

“I don’t side with anybody, but I do know that Tyron Woodley doesn’t fight enough because after I fought, he hadn’t fought in a year, 13 months, that’s why they made the real belt, America’s belt,” Covington said. “Then all of a sudden he wants to fight 14 months later, which is two months after my fight and he knew I had to get surgery so he was trying to get me when I wasn’t healthy.

“He’s a pick-and-chooser,” Covington continued. “He wants to pick times, a lot of the fights that he’s fought in the past, Demian Maia, he got him on four weeks, five weeks training camp. He made him come in unhealthy. He’s a strategic player.”

The list of welterweight challengers continues to grow, and rumors circulated recently of a matchup between Covington and Usman to determine the No. 1 contender spot, but “Chaos” only has eyes for Woodley.

“I’m waiting on Tyron,” Covington said. “He’s on borrowed time. He’s the only person I’m fighting. I’m young, the best years are ahead of me. He’s old, he’s at the end of his career. I’m just getting started. I’ve just barely begun this journey, so as long as it takes to fight Tyron Woodley, we have unfinished business.”