London, England — Colby Covington is widely expected to be in line for the next crack at the UFC welterweight championship, against Leon Edwards sometime later this year.
Despite that, Covington is in the business of booking the biggest fights possible. And the biggest fight in or out of the UFC remains Conor McGregor.
“Conor’s done some great things in the sport, he’s a great fighter, but his time is passing,” Covington told media outlets including Cageside Press backstage at the O2 Arena, where he was on hand for UFC 286. “He’s made a lot of money, so he just doesn’t have that same hunger and same drive that he used to when he first started fighting.”
Like many, Covington suggested that McGregor needs to get back in the USADA pool prior to returning to competition — though the UFC has the option to issue an exemption to that requirement.
That said, Covington, who claims to have cut 18lbs of weight in a day as a back-up for this weekend’s card, is open to the “Mystic Mac” match-up.
“If Conor wants to fight one day and do business, it’s probably the biggest fight the UFC would ever do,” he exclaimed.
As unlikely as the fight may seem, McGregor has signalled that his upcoming fight with Michael Chandler is going to come at welterweight. He also has his eye on a title in a third weight class, so the stars could potentially align some day.
For Covington, it’s all about what’s best for business.
“I’m here to do the biggest and best business for the UFC. This is not a game. This is a business. We’re here to make money, and I want to make a lot of money for the UFC. The UFC has changed my life in ways that I never thought possible. I love the UFC so much for what they’ve done for me,” Covington went on to explain. “So I want to repay the favor, I want to do the biggest and best business for the UFC. If they want to sit down at the table and they think that’s the biggest and best fight we can do, then let’s do it.”
Watch the full UFC 286 press conference appearance with Colby Covington above.
