Dana White Indicates Colby Covington Will Be Next for Title Shot After UFC 261

The welterweight title will be on the line in the UFC 261 main event on Saturday, and Colby Covington figures to be an interested observer when Kamaru Usman defends his belt in a rematch against Jorge Masvidal at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.

Another rematch could be in store if Usman is victorious. “The Nigerian Nightmare” defeated Covington via fifth-round TKO in the UFC 245 headliner, and UFC president Dana White recently told TSN that a second meeting between the two is likely, provided Usman beats Masvidal.

“He’s at a point in his career now where he’s looking at who’s next again,” White said of Usman. “He’s coming back and going to be facing guys that he already beat. Obviously, Masvidal took that fight on short notice so let’s give him this fight, and we can do away with all the excuses. Then, Colby Covington’s next.

“Who knows. Anything can happen. Guys get injured, things happen, timing. Who knows, especially in this day and age but that should be the fight that happens next.”

The first meeting between the two was a top contender for 2019 “Fight of the Year.” Since then, Usman has been impressive in title defenses against Gilbert Burns and Masvidal, while Covington rebounded to score a dominant win over ex-champ Tyron Woodley in September.

“I just think that if you look at what this guy’s (Usman) done, every time he fights, he looks better and better,” White said. “He’s literally fought everybody out there. Now he’s going for a second run on these guys and the fight with him and Colby Covington’s one of the best fights I’ve ever seen.

“The division is stacked with killers right now. The fight with him and Colby Covington, love him or hate him or whatever your deal is with him, is one of the best fighters in the world. Very, very good fighter and that fight was incredible. Both guys had to dig deep. It’s one of the best fights I’ve ever seen. Ever.”

If Masvidal wins at UFC 261, a fight with Covington also has some intrigue due to the two fighters’ past together at American Top Team and more recent feud.