Colby Covington is never short on words when it comes to his opinion of UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley.
The brash and outspoken welterweight contender has been calling for a fight with Woodley for the better part of a year and it appeared he might be inching closer to title contention until the reigning champion underwent shoulder surgery that will keep him out for most of 2018.
With Woodley now sidelined until August, Covington was instead matched up against Rafael dos Anjos to crown an interim champion at UFC 225 in Chicago on June 9.
Of course while his contract may say interim, Covington has no doubt in his mind that the winner of this fight is the true champion in the UFC welterweight division.
“I don’t really consider this the interim. I consider this the undisputed title. There’s no doubt about it. Tyron Woodley’s the paper champ so he’s not the real champion,” Covington told MMAWeekly. “He’s doing anything but fight.
“He’s gossiping on TMZ. He’s over on “The Breakfast Club” trying to rap. You thought you hate me? Go watch “The Breakfast Club” and watch him try to rap. You’ll really hate me for making you watch that.”
Following his surgery, Woodley anticipated a return to action in July, which is why he expressed anger and frustration over reports that the UFC was looking to crown an interim champion in June.
UFC president Dana White then later stated that Woodley had presented him with a doctor’s note that said he wasn’t allowed to compete again until at least August.
At that point, White says he moved forward with the interim title bout between Covington and dos Anjos for June.
“I knew Tyron Woodley was fronting the whole time. Everything he’s been saying is fake news,” Covington said. “At the end of the day, he’s trying to block me from a paycheck. He knows I’m at the top of the division now and he doesn’t want me to get paid. He doesn’t even want to come back now until August. Mark my words right now, that guy’s not coming back until September, October or November. That guy’s doing anything but fight right now.
“He’s running his mouth. He’s trying to be the black Skip Bayless. He’s trying to coach up [Floyd] Mayweather and that’s some hypothetical bulls–t that’s never going to happen. He’s doing anything but fight. He’s just running his mouth. He’s not here to make this welterweight division great again like me. At the end of the day, this guy just talks the talk. I’m here walking the walk.”
Covington will get his chance to secure a fight with Woodley if he can get past dos Anjos at UFC 225 but even then he’s not sure that matchup will ever happen.
“Tyron Woodley’s got nowhere to hide. He’ll probably end up leaving that belt at my footsteps,” Covington said. “He’s on borrowed time right now. This is the end of his career. His time has come and gone and my time is now.”
