If Colby Covington is bright to salvage by Tyron Woodley in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night main match, he’ll be calling for one more shot at the welterweight title. But would he deserve it?
Kamaru Usman defended his title by stopping Covington — who argued the battle wouldn’t were stopped — in the fifth round of their Dec. 14 bout. UFC president Dana White used to be impressed by the challenger, but he’ll receive assorted names to recall into consideration, including Leon Edwards and the winner of the proposed Nate Diaz–Jorge Masvidal rematch. The UFC ranks Covington as the No. 2 challenger in the motivate of Gilbert Burns, who fights Usman later this year, so Covington positively would be in the conversation.
But Woodley can discontinue that dialogue with a accumulate, which would snap a two-battle shedding hotfoot. And he has gotten some support in recent weeks from a person very familiar with his opponent. Masvidal, who as soon as expert and lived with Covington, helped Woodley put together for Saturday’s battle. Will that be a ingredient?
The co-main match need to no longer lack fireworks, with Donald Cerrone going thru Niko Designate. Both males are aggressive strikers and are taking a survey to come to the accumulate column, especially Cerrone, who has lost four straight. Cerrone is 37 with a ton of mileage on his body, and he is admitted retirement would no longer seem as far away as it archaic to. How will Saturday’s battle impact that?
Khamzat Chimaev, on the loads of hand, is nice getting started. He made historical previous in July by winning twice in the Octagon in an 11-day span. These had been the 26-year-faded’s first two UFC fights, and he dominated in every of them. So impressive used to be Chimaev that White now no longer most efficient booked him for Saturday in opposition to Gerald Meerschaert but again in November in opposition to Demian Maia.
Focus on rapid music. But will that lead to a title shot for Chimaev in the advance future?
ESPN’s MMA experts Ariel Helwani, Brett Okamoto, Marc Raimondi and Jeff Wagenheim recall a survey at these issues and take care of what’s precise or now no longer.
Valid or now no longer: If Colby Covington wins, he’ll salvage one more title shot subsequent
Helwani: It relies upon, but I deem or now no longer it’s unlikely.
So, let’s scramble in reveal here: Let’s assume Covington defeats Woodley. In reveal to be in consideration, Covington has to beat Woodley impressively and doubtlessly type him.
OK, for instance he does that. Then for instance Kamaru Usman beats Gilbert Burns. I’d verbalize that can vastly decrease the potentialities of Covington getting the next title shot. I excellent don’t deem there is a marketplace for a rematch so rapidly. So, that would possibly per chance per chance per chance well be that.
But for instance Burns wins. Would Usman salvage a right this moment rematch? Unless or now no longer it’s miles a controversial loss, I’d verbalize no.
But then there would possibly per chance be the Jorge Masvidal-Nathan Diaz winner, and/or Leon Edwards, and who knows who else emerges between every so often. Would Covington salvage a shot over those guys? I even receive a laborious time envisioning that occuring.
Obviously, crazier issues receive and would possibly per chance per chance per chance well happen (injuries, timelines, contract negotiations, and loads others.), but my popular feeling is no longer any subject how he wins, if he wins, Covington would must accumulate now no longer now no longer as much as one more battle to salvage one more title shot.
Valid or now no longer: Coaching with Jorge Masvidal will give Tyron Woodley an edge
Raimondi: Entirely precise. Now, that’s now no longer to verbalize that it ability Woodley would possibly per chance per chance per chance well aloof be liked over Covington, or anything admire that. But yes, Woodley coaching with Masvidal — who used to be Covington’s ally and chief coaching accomplice for years — will completely support Woodley on Saturday.
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Tyron Woodley discusses coaching with Jorge Masvidal again and the map in which Masvidal motivated him to definite up “toxic” issues in his existence.
Woodley and Covington receive expert together sooner than, but that used to be years ago — sooner than Covington used to be even in the UFC. Any files won then doubtless would possibly per chance per chance per chance well now no longer come into play grand six years later. But Masvidal? He used to be coaching with Covington on a odd basis up until 2018. That would possibly per chance no longer in level of fact too manner motivate. Or now no longer it’s pleasing to verbalize Masvidal knows Covington about besides to anybody. They lived together. There are doubtless issues Masvidal knows about Covington (and vice versa) that no-one else does. If the opportunity had been there for Woodley to receive interplay Masvidal’s mind, finally he had to bring it to mind. And it can per chance well aloof give Woodley an additional one thing that per chance he didn’t receive coming into the battle initially.
I did check with Covington final week about Masvidal going to St. Louis to be share of Woodley’s camp. Covington brushed it off, announcing the final phrase ingredient Masvidal would possibly per chance per chance per chance well articulate Woodley used to be how to lose to Covington — because that’s all Masvidal ever did in follow, Covington acknowledged. Despite the indisputable truth that that had been trusty type, Masvidal has the chance to present Woodley now no longer now no longer as much as some more or less intel he haven’t got assuredly had.
In a matchup of two of the suitable welterweights on this planet, with Woodley, the faded UFC champ, making an are attempting to snap a two-battle shedding hotfoot, every minute bit helps. It’d be laborious to argue that having Masvidal as a sounding board at the gym wouldn’t support Woodley in some manner. Or now no longer it’s positively an edge that Woodley haven’t got had in every other case.
Valid or now no longer: 2021 will doubtless be Donald Cerrone’s final year fighting in the UFC
Okamoto: I’m going with “now no longer precise” on this one … but shall we decrease it conclude. I type deem if or now no longer it’s now no longer 2021, the final phrase time we gaze Cerrone is 2022. He admitted to me, in an interview earlier this year, that he can gaze “the head of the tunnel” and that he doubtlessly has most efficient a “couple years [left], and that is the reason pushing it.” Effectively, what’s one ingredient we be taught about Cowboy Cerrone? He’s a guy who’s gonna push it. He’ll push that line. He’ll, in all probability, stick round longer than many deem he would possibly per chance per chance per chance well aloof. That is how he has operated his entire profession. He has taken the quick turnaround fights, even when his management told him in all probability he would possibly per chance per chance per chance well aloof sit and wait for an even bigger battle. That is Cowboy. This is the reason followers esteem him. He’s lost four in a row, but ought to you stare at it, he is lost to Tony Ferguson, Justin Gaethje, Conor McGregor and Anthony Pettis. No longer admire he is getting walked over by lesser skills. And quite just a few folk thought he won his final battle in opposition to Pettis. Backside line, I deem Cowboy will battle previous 2021, but now no longer by grand.
Valid or now no longer: Khamzat Chimaev would possibly per chance per chance per chance receive fought for the belt or receive a title shot booked by this time subsequent year
Wagenheim: Whoa, preserve your horses. The man has been in the UFC for all of two months. Yeah, this coming weekend Chimaev will assemble his third look contained in the Octagon, so at his swift tempo he’ll receive a dozen UFC fights underneath his belt by this time subsequent year. And it wouldn’t recall him that many victories to land a title shot, especially with the Chechnya-born Swede swiftly having established himself as a Dana White favourite. That issues. The UFC president will feed Chimaev a gigantic opportunity the main chance he will get.
But Chimaev has a ways to scramble sooner than he’ll be staring across the cage at 170-pound king Kamaru Usman. His opponent for subsequent Saturday, Gerald Meerschaert, is a step up in opponents, despite having lost four of his previous six fights. And if Chimaev passes that test, he’ll in level of fact step up subsequent time. White has already let or now no longer or now no longer it’s known that if Chimaev wins subsequent weekend, he would be booked in opposition to jiu-jitsu grasp Demian Maia. Correct excellent fortune with that, Khamzat. The UFC clearly has plans for Chimaev, however the promotion had plans for Edmen Shahbazyan and Sean O’Malley, too, and every hit dose-of-fact roadblocks of their most up-to-date fights. So I’m now no longer projecting a title shot for Chimaev until I gaze him defeat any individual who resides someplace in the high-altitude land of contenders.
