Former interim UFC welterweight champion Colby Covington wants to move up to middleweight and has already called out Sean Strickland and Israel Adesanya.
Covington most recently returned to winning ways at RAF 05 against former UFC middleweight kingpin Luke Rockhold. He wants to carry the same momentum whenever he enters the octagon, potentially in 2026, and snap his two-fight losing skid.
‘Chaos’ has lost 3 out of his last 4 UFC fights. In his previous outing, which was in 2024, he lost by TKO (doctor’s stoppage) against the surging Joaquin Buckley. After that loss, fans thought he would retire. However, the American fighter is not done.
Colby Covington calls out Sean Strickland and Israel Adesanya
Colby Covington is now seeking a move up to 185 pounds for bigger fights and believes that in that division, the fighters are unathletic, and therefore, the 37-year-old can excel against these 185-pounders with his elite cardio and wrestling. In an interview with Submission Radio, ‘Chaos’ first called out ‘The Last Stylebender,’ who is on a three-fight losing skid:
“I think someone like Israel Adesanya. That’s someone that intrigues me. A former champion like myself, someone who generates hype, has a following, and has a platform and a brand. So, I think the Izzy fight makes a lot more sense than anything, and it’s someone I don’t really like. He’s talked a lot of s**t about me in the past, so let’s see if he can actually back that s**t talk up.”
About fighting Sean Strickland and setting the bad blood that has emerged over the years because of the constant back-and-forths and insults traded from both sides, Covington said:
“Oh yeah, I would love that fight. He’s a cardio kickboxer, man. I’ll beat him everywhere. You saw what Dricus [du Plessis] did to him; I’d do the same thing. So, I would love that fight. That press conference would be fun. It would be bonkers. So yeah, we can settle it for sure.”
Check out Colby Covington’s comments below (11:55):
Sean Strickland is currently scheduled to fight Anthony Hernandez at UFC Houston on February 21.