Dana White: Colby Covington ‘Looked Old and Slow’ at UFC 296
At UFC 296, Leon Edwards thoroughly beat Colby Covington to retain the UFC welterweight title. It was a dominant showing for Edwards, but Covington looked drastically different in comparison to previous performances. UFC CEO Dana White believed Covington ‘looked old and slow’ in the fight.
White expressed his opinion during the UFC 296 post-fight press conference. All quotes via TheScore.
“Colby just looked slow and old tonight, in my opinion,” White said at the post-fight press conference.
“He got outwrestled,” White added. “Leon looked good. Leon looked fast. (It) looked like (Covington) had trouble dealing with his speed. … Not to mention the fact that Leon absolutely destroyed that leg, too.”
Edwards cleanly won the UFC 296 main event. In every aspect of the fight, he had success. The fight was fought at his preferred pace and he cleanly outstruck Covington when the bout was standing. Covington, an accomplished wrestler, struggled to close the distance and attempt takedowns. It was even tougher for him to land a takedown.
Surprisingly, Edwards won a good portion of the grappling exchanges. The Englishman went two for three on takedown attempts while Covington went two for ten. Furthermore, Edwards was not controlled on the mat for a significant period until the fifth round. At that point, he had already secured a decision win.
White attributed Covington’s struggles to his age and inactivity. The 35-year-old entered UFC 296 after being out of the octagon for nearly two years.
“When you’re 35 years old, or any age in this sport, and you’re like, ‘Yeah, I’m gonna wait,’ waiting is never a good idea in this sport,” White said. “This sport doesn’t wait for anybody.
“(Fighters’) windows are very short. And you never know once you start getting up into your mid-30s when you’re gonna show up and just not look like you anymore.”
Covington’s next bout will be very telling. If ring rust was a serious issue against Edwards, we may see a sharper Covington in the future. At the same time, if he continues trending downward the welterweight division may lose one of its mainstays.
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