You're not going to believe this, but UFC Fight Night 111's Colby Covington actually thanks Dong Hyun Kim

Colby Covington wanted a fight. But wanting was a lot easier than getting.

That’s why, on one overcast day in late March, the UFC welterweight found himself standing on a traffic median in South Florida, holding a sign that said “will fight for food,” screaming, “Let me eat!”

Ex-lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos, looking to fight Nick Diaz in his debut at welterweight, had already turned him down despite an inflammatory – and humorous – social media post. Then he’d been told Ryan LaFlare had been sent a bout contract at UFC 209, only to leave it unsigned.

Covington, a 29-year-old collegiate wrestling standout with a 6-1 octagon record, was getting nowhere after asking the promotion to take him off the short-notice list – where he’d been multiple times in his UFC career – and give him a full training camp. Then he got an encouraging sign.

“I think once (UFC matchmaker) Sean Shelby saw all these guys are ducking me and didn’t want to fight me because I was a dangerous fight, he got me a fight,” Covington told MMAjunkie.

That fight is against Dong Hyun Kim (22-3-1 MMA, 13-3), the most accomplished foe Covington (11-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) has faced to date. They’ll meet June 17 at UFC Fight Night 111, which takes place at Singapore Indoor Stadium. The entire card streams on UFC Fight Pass.

Pretty early in his UFC career, Covington figured he needed to do a lot of talking if he was going to rise above a crowded field at welterweight, so he made sure he was outspoken in person and online. He didn’t back down from verbal challenges. He promoted himself, because he felt he couldn’t rely on the UFC to promote him at every moment.

In spite of his efforts, or maybe because of them, Covington doesn’t have a terrible amount of sympathy for fighters who’ve gotten passed up for title shots, as has been the case for several top contenders over the past year.

“That’s their fault,” Covington said. “They could have been talking a lot more on their way up, saying more things and having better post-fight speeches instead of, ‘Uh, I’ll fight whoever they put in front of me,'” Covington said. “No. (Expletive), say, ‘Hey man, I want a title shot. What’s up?’ Create some stir. Get some controversy going.”

Covington isn’t just happy to step off the traffic median and get back to work. He’s grateful to Kim, the No. 7 fighter in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA welterweight rankings, for accepting the fight.

“I’ve got to take my hat off to Kim, because he didn’t need to step up and take the risk and fight a guy like me,” Covington said.

When it comes to the way his career has played out, isn’t sure how much the promotion values him in the overall picture of the UFC’s welterweight division. But he acknowledges he’s at least getting the chance to prove his worth, which is all that he can ask for.

“I think they’re giving me the platform, the opportunity to show my worth in this fight, and that’s what I plan on doing is backing up all the talk,” he said.

For more on UFC Fight Night 111, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.