Ben Askren Calls UFC Welterweight Contender Colby Covington a ‘Poor Man’s Version of Me’

According to Ben Askren, Colby Covington doesn’t belong in the discussion of best welterweights in the world.

After Tyron Woodley defeated Darren Till to retain his 170-pound belt in the UFC 228 headliner this past Saturday, the reigning champion threw his name into the discussion for “Greatest of All Time” in the division. That, of course, prompted plenty of debate on social media channels.

When Colby Covington’s name was mentioned alongside Askren’s in that conversation, the former Bellator and One Championship titlist laughed off the notion.

“C’mon, [Colby Covington] is a poor [man’s] version of me,” Askren wrote on Twitter. “Couldn’t accomplish in wrestling, got choked out by subpar [Warlley Alves] and trash talking sounds like his IQ is 85 (which it may be although I can’t confirm).”

Cmon @ColbyCovMMA is a poor mans version of me. Couldn’t accomplish in wrestling, got choked out by subpar Wallrey Alves and trash talking sounds like his IQ is 85(which it may be although I can’t confirm)! https://t.co/gJZpu4caP5

— Ben Askren (@Benaskren) September 10, 2018

Askren is referencing Covington’s only career defeat, a first-round submission loss to Alves at UFC 194 in December 2015. Since then, “Chaos” has won seven fights in a row, briefly capturing the interim welterweight crown with a win over Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 225 (He was stripped prior to UFC 228). Covington has been linked to a UFC 230 title bout with Woodley at Madison Square Garden in New York on Nov. 3, but that date is far from official.

Askren, meanwhile, retired from MMA following a win over Shinya Aoki at One Championship “Immortal Pursuit” on Nov. 24, 2017. His career record is 18-0 with one no contest. Askren is also a training partner of Woodley’s at Roufusport.