JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Khamzat Chimaev is convinced that Colby Covington wants absolutely no part of fighting him.
If Chimaev (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is able to defeat Gilbert Burns on Saturday at UFC 273, he will be firmly positioned in the upper echelon of the welterweight division. That’s where two-time title challenger Covington (17-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) currently resides, and there would be few reasons not to book a matchup between them.
Chimaev struggles to see a scenario where that pairing happens, though.
“I will be happy if they do that, but I don’t think so, that guy don’t wanna fight me,” Chimaev told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC 273 media day. “He’s gonna go to the cops, call the cops. Dana White will be in the jail if they make that fight. He talk too much in the media and then when he sees face to face, he goes to the cops. He’s not that guy. If I’m being honest, kick him out – this b*tch.”
Chimaev’s comments about Covington calling the police stem from multiple situations where the former interim 170-pound champion has had law enforcement involved following outside-the-cage altercations with fellow fighters, such as when heavyweight Fabricio Werdum hit him with a boomerang in Australia as well as the recently infamous Jorge Masvidal sucker-punch outside a Miami steakhouse.
Although Covington hasn’t done much to garner respect from his fellow fighters, Chimaev is certainly one who does not hold “Chaos” in high regard.
Chimaev meets Burns in the UFC 273 featured bout, which takes place VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena and airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
Khamzat Chimaev rips Colby ‘call the cops’ Covington, questions if Dana White would make fight
