UFC 296: Colby Covington goes off on Robert Whittaker, Leon Edwards and Sean Strickland

Controversial UFC star Colby Covington unloaded in a wild interview, taking shots at Robert Whittaker as well as champions past and present - while making a big Donald Trump reveal.

A fired-up Colby Covington has taken aim at a host of past and present UFC champions, including Australia’s Rob Whittaker, as the American prepares to fight Leon Edwards at UFC 296 in Las Vegas this weekend.

Nothing and no one was off limits when the cocky Covington, 35, called Whittaker “irrelevant” and slammed “low IQ” Edwards and “pathetic” middleweight champion Sean Strickland.

Wearing a Make America Great Again hat, Covington also said he would be bringing former US President Donald Trump to the fights at T-Mobile Arena this weekend and had offered to fight in Sydney in September when the UFC was scrambling to book a main event for UFC 293.

Nicknamed “Chaos”, Covington is so confident of winning the welterweight title this weekend that he’s already talking about a move up to middleweight.

UFC 296: Edwards vs Covington | SUN 17th DEC 2PM AEDT | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports. Starting January 2024, Main Event on Kayo Sports and Foxtel will be the exclusive home of UFC Pay-Per-View events in Australia.

Rob Whittaker is coming off a loss to Dricus du plessis. Picture: Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

The high-level wrestler had been linked to a blockbuster fight against Sydney’s Whittaker as recently as last year but said he had moved on from that possibility.

“No. That ship’s sailed,” he said when asked about fighting “The Reaper”.

“Robert lost the title and got beat in a contender fight, so he’s just not relevant.

“It doesn’t make sense. I’m at the top, I’m about to be the welterweight champion of the world, and I only want the best and biggest fights.

“I know they wouldn’t even waste my time and their time in trying to put that fight together.”

This weekend, though, Covington must get past welterweight champion Edwards, who will make the second defence of his title at UFC 296.

“Low IQ Leon,” Covington said of Edwards.

“I would love for you to ask him questions about his level of education because I don’t think he graduated elementary school.

“He’s mumbling and fumbling, he’s so stupid.”

Kamaru Usman was knocked out by Leon Edwards in stunning fashion. Picture: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC

Covington said Edwards got lucky when he landed a stunning fifth-round head kick to stop Kamaru Usman and take the 170-pound belt in August last year and the Englishman couldn’t sell a fight.

“He landed a Hail Mary knockout of Usman after getting dominated for 24 minutes, now he’s over-hyped and overconfident,” Covington said.

“I’m going to bring out the quitter in Leon.

“There’s a reason I’m the A side and there’s a reason why I’m bringing the most famous person alive, Donald Trump, to the fight. Who’s Leon bringing? Is he bringing the royal family?

“Is he bringing Paddington the Bear, is he bringing Mary Poppins? Nope.

“Nobody cares about Leon.”

If he does win this weekend and moves to middleweight, Covington wants to fight the only other man in the UFC who is as equally outspoken as him: Sean Strickland.

Strickland shocked the world when he dethroned Israel Adesanya as middleweight champion in Sydney in September but has generated as many headlines for his outlandish statements as his fights.

Sean Strickland (L) shocked the world when he beat Israel Adesanya in Sydney in September. Picture: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Despite appearing to have similar political and social beliefs, Covington and Strickland hate each other.

“He’s pretending to be everything he wishes I was,” Covington said. “I would love to slap Sean Strickland around.

“He’s a pathetic excuse of a human being.

“The guy has no IQ. He needs his mouth wired shut and I’m the guy to do it.”

Strickland wasn’t the UFC’s first choice to fight Adesanya in Sydney but took the fight after No.1 contender Dricus du Plessis pulled out injured.

Strickland will now defend the title against du Plessis in Toronto next month.

However, Covington said he offered to step in and headline when the company was searching for a suitable main event for Sydney three months ago.

“I called Dana White right away,” he said. “They know I’m always ready, so when they were scrambling and shuffling, I volunteered to fight in Sydney. I was ready to go in September.”

Despite having a boomerang thrown at him by former heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum when they were in Sydney in 2017, Covington said he had always had a soft spot for Australia.

“There are a lot of beautiful women there and the country is amazing,” he said.

“I don’t agree with the government – they have a few too many restrictions on the people.

“The people should have more freedom and constitutional rights but overall the landscape is beautiful and it would be an honour to come down there and fight there some day.”

Originally published as UFC 296: Colby Covington goes off on Robert Whittaker, Leon Edwards and Sean Strickland