Colby Covington Predicts ‘Easy Win for Gilbert’ in Burns v. Masvidal
Dana White announced earlier in the month that Colby Covington will receive the next title shot against Leon Edwards. Criticism of the decision from Edwards and other fighters in the division is not surprising. Covington has not fought in over a year and is considered undeserving after two failed attempts to capture the title against Kamaru Usman.
Regardless of the criticism, a matchup between Leon Edwards and Colby Covington could be an excellent fight. With a fight coming up next weekend, Jorge Masvidal has tried to keep his name relevant in the welterweight title conversation. Implying that a convincing win against Gilbert Burns makes him a better choice to be Leon’s next opponent. Despite losing badly in his last fight to his former friend, Colby Covington.
Colby Covington believes that Masvidal’s championship window is essentially closed and that UFC 287 won’t change anything. During an appearance on Michael Bisping’s “Believe You Me” podcast, Covington thrashed Masvidal and predicted, “Gilbert getting an easy win.” Also stating, “Jorge is a broken man. He’s not the same fighter after I destroyed him and beat him 50-44 with a soda. Obviously, he’s had an emotional letdown, and his life is unraveling.”
Even if Colby Covington fights against Leon Edwards for the belt next, the welterweight division is more wide open than ever.
Potential Welterweight Outlook after Burns v. Masvidal
UFC 287 is ten days away from headlining in Miami for the first time since 2003. Gilbert Burns and hometown underdog Jorge Masvidal are set to clash in the co-main event. A win for either fighter could potentially put them in the conversation for a title shot. Likely against the winner of the presumed future matchup between Leon Edwards and Colby Covington.
Fifth-ranked Gilbert Burns has been a consistent presence in the division for a long time now. He also became a fan favorite in his fight-of-the-year-worthy brawl against Khamzat Chimaev. A win over Masvidal at UFC 287 will put him directly in line for the second title shot of his career.
Despite losing three consecutive fights, Leon Edwards remaining champion helps Masvidals case for a title opportunity. The two infamously had a less-than-cordial interaction backstage at UFC Fight Night 147. A fight between Masvidal and Edwards never came to fruition since the incident occurred in 2019, despite fan interest. Currently ranked eleventh, Masvidal truly needs another highlight reel type of performance against Burns to regain title contention status. Whether his confidence is warranted remains to be seen.
