Colby Covington stuns fans with ‘easy’ fight prediction for Chimaev vs Strickland

Speaking in an interview with Helen Yee, ‘Chaos’ backed Chimaev to come out on top.

“I think he [Chimaev] beats Sean. I think Sean is at the end of his career, looking for one last paycheque. I think he takes him down and makes it look pretty easy,” he said.

The prediction suggests a stylistic advantage for Chimaev, despite Strickland’s durability and striking.

Covington’s remarks also highlight how Strickland’s return to the title picture was a surprise for many fans. It was expected that Nassourdine Imavov would get the title shot after Chimaev beat Dricus du Plessis.

Past feud makes Colby Covington’s stance surprising

Covington’s comments have surprised many given his history with Chimaev.

The two were linked to a potential fight in 2023 that never materialised.

At the time, ‘Chaos’ was openly critical of Chimaev’s professionalism.

“They were looking at setting up that fight with that m——— Khamzat Chimaev, but he’s unprofessional, he’s a clown.

“He’s out there laughing when he’s missing weight by 10 pounds, making a fool of this publicly-traded beautiful company of the UFC, making a fool laughing while you’re ruining their main event pay-per-view. So, he’s not accountable, he’s not someone they can trust in that spotlight.”

That history makes his current backing of Chimaev particularly shocking.