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Ex-UFC champ: Covington has to fight prospect after public feud

Colby Covington. Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Ex-UFC champion: Colby Covington has to fight rising prospect after public feud

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 4/4/24

When you talk as much smack as Colby Covington (17-4) does, you’re bound to put a target on your back.

That’s exactly what Covington did when he made things personal between himself and rising welterweight prospect Ian Machado Garry (14-0) after he belittled Garry‘s wife with plenty of public shaming and overly personal insults.

Because of those verbal attacks, former UFC heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier believes the right thing for Covington to do is to settle his differences with Gary in the octagon.

“They have to fight because when you hurl the insults and you say that man’s name, and you constantly talk about him, his life outside the octagon, when you now start taking personal shots at Colby’s political views, now you’ve got a fight,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “I believe that International Fight Week works perfect.”

A grudge match with Covington is one Garry has been advocating for for quite a while.

Ian Garry remains adamant that he wants to retire Colby Covington:

“[Colby], I’m gonna retire you and all of Brazil is gonna have a smile on their face when I knock you unconscious and leave you in a puddle of your own blood.”

@MMAFighting #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/Z3llJdsfR7
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) April 2, 2024

Covington has a reputation for rubbing many people the wrong way and crossing the line with his trash talk.

Ahead of his welterweight title clash with former champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 245 in December 2019, Covington got himself into hot water after he made some remarks that many believed had racial undertones.

Covington and Usman got into a scuffle during a pre-fight faceoff with the former stating he wasn’t going to press charges because he didn’t want Usman “getting deported back to Nigeria.”

The 36-year-old Covington also insulted UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards’ deceased father in the leadup to their UFC 296 matchup back in December when he promised to drag Edwards “to the seventh layer of hell” where he could say hi to his dad.

Cormier pointed out that traditionally when Covington has started talking smack to the level he is with Garry, he’s settled the dispute in the cage like he did with Usman and Edwards.

“If you are going to take this role, or play the villain in everybody’s story, the villain always has to get his comeuppance, where he has to step in front of the sword and fight,” Cormier added.

“…He’s got to step into that battlefield and he’s got to show that he’s willing to stand behind his words. I think that’s where we are now with this Colby Covington-Ian Garry deal. Colby’s got to stand up on his words now and go fight that man. If he beats him, now we still continue to think that he’s in the championship picture.”

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