Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping warned Colby Covington about a possible move up a division.
Colby Covington is still planning his next fight after losing to a doctor against Joaquin Buckley at UFC Tampa last month. After three consecutive title losses and a brutal defeat to Buckley, Covington may be in the final stages of his UFC career.
Ahead of a possible return to the cage later this year, Covington has teased a possible move to the middleweight division for his next fight. Sean Strickland, who faces Dricus du Plessis in a middleweight title rematch at UFC 312, was Covington's recent callout target in an interview with Submission Radio.
If Covington is serious about a move to 185 pounds, one former middleweight king says you should be careful what you wish for.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Michael Bisping advises Colby Covington against a middleweight move
During a recent segment on his YouTube channel, UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping discounted Covington's potential middleweight climb.
“Colby Covington vs. Sean Strickland, first of all Colby is too small, it's that simple. I don't think he'll be fighting Sean Strickland anytime soon,” Bisping said of Covington. “For example, I mean if Strickland goes out and beats Dricus Du Plessis, that's impossible. There's no way Colby goes to 185 and gets a title fight right away.
“We know he is used to a lot of title fights. He fought Kamaru Usman, right? He lost in round 5. He then beat Tyron Woodley, then fought Kamaru Usman again. He beats Jorge Masvidal and then he gets another title shot, right? You've had three title fights at 170 pounds. You won't see a title fight in your first fight at 185 pounds. (h/t MMA Junkie)
In addition to a possible move to the middleweight division, Covington has previously considered a possible move to the lightweight division, which is unlikely given his age. Covington has competed at 170 pounds for his entire fighting career.
Colby Covington finds himself in an unusual position after three title losses
Covington is looking for his first win since a unanimous decision over Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272. Since then, he has lost to Leon Edwards in his third welterweight title at UFC 296, and the TKO loss to Buckley at UFC Tampa.
Covington has lost four of his last six fights overall, including two welterweight title losses to then-champ Kamaru Usman. He hasn't won back-to-back fights since 2018-2019, when he defeated former UFC titleholders Robbie Lawler and Rafael dos Anjos in back-to-back bouts.
If Covington moves up to middleweight, Bisping believes it will be a big mistake and push him back even further. In the meantime, speculation about Covington's fighting future continues to run rampant.
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