Colby Covington Calls out Kamaru Usman, Says He's Ducking UFC Title Rematch

Colby Covington was his usual combative self when calling out UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman for a rematch.

Covington said on MMA Fighting's What the Heck? podcast that Usman has "been running" since beating Jorge Masvidal at UFC 261 in April (via Steven Marrocco of MMA Fighting).

"So as soon as his balls stop shrinking and he comes back to earth, he can fight me again," the No. 1-ranked challenger said. "But the thing is, he’s off the grid. He’s probably got his phone on airplane mode, he’s denying all the UFC’s calls. He doesn’t want to sign the contract. He’s just hoping some alien invasion happens where he can pick some other lightweight washout to fight."

Covington also told Usman to "stop hiding in your ‘so-called home country’ of Africa."

The two originally crossed paths at UFC 245 in December 2019. Usman successfully defended the gold with a fifth-round TKO.

Covington has drawn criticism for making racist comments toward other fighters and more generally as a way to generate buzz. Based on his comments about Usman, he'll be returning to that tactic in his pursuit of another championship opportunity.