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Colby Covington is yet to apologize to his UFC 296 opponent, Leon Edwards, for his tasteless comments about the Englishman's father. However, there is still time for Covington to mend his own image. If he is willing, that is.
Most of the focus ahead of the fight was on Covington being a difficult stylistic matchup for Edwards. That, however, was regrettably overshadowed by the All-American's decision to mock the death of Edwards' father at the UFC 296 pre-fight press conference.
This was worsened by Covington's refusal to apologize for his remarks, even after his fairly lopsided loss to Edwards. While unlikely, the level of scorn that 'Chaos' has received could have changed his mind, and there are plenty of options from which to choose if he decides to repair his relationship with Edwards.
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#5. Colby Covington and Leon Edwards could train together
One of the most surprising events from Colby Covington's performance at UFC 296 was that he was unable to impose his wrestling game on an opponent with no formal background in wrestling. Given his failure in three separate welterweight title fights, it's unlikely that Covington will ever compete for championship gold in the division again.
Check out Leon Edwards' outwrestling Colby Covington in the clip below:
Instead, he could venture down to the 155-pound division or middleweight, although the latter is less likely given Covington's size. Approaching Leon Edwards with a humble attitude and the intention to study the gameplan Edwards employed to nullify Covington may prove useful. This could prepare him to deal with similar gameplans in the future.
Training together after an apology could lead to an improvement in the pair's relationship. Covington could also be incentivized to train with Edwards due to the lack of high-level training partners and coaching at his gym, which is designed purely for his comfort.
#4. Colby Covington could admit that Leon Edwards was the better man at UFC 296
The aftermath of UFC 296 was tainted by Colby Covington's perplexing claim that he thought he had done enough to beat Leon Edwards. He was widely criticized for his claim, given how dominant Edwards looked on fight night.
Check out Colby Covington explaining his loss to Leon Edwards at UFC 296 in the clip below:
By taking part in an interview where he is honest about the manner in which his fight with Edwards played out, as well as addressing 'Rocky' directly, the former interim welterweight champion could go a long way towards repairing his relationship with Edwards.
After all, the Englishman has spent most of his career being disregarded. By being acknowledged by one of the people who used to dismiss him as an elite fighter, it could set the tone for a better outcome.
#3. Colby Covington could finally break character
After Colby Covington lost to Kamaru Usman for the second time at UFC 268, the pair shared a wholesome moment in the center of the octagon. Covington stunned everyone in attendance by breaking character and admitting that his pre-fight antics with Usman were merely meant to draw hype for the bout.
Check out Colby Covington breaking character UFC 268 in the clip below:
He punctuated his remark by claiming that he was just trying to make his foe as much money as possible. The Nigerian phenom's predicament was similar to Leon Edwards,' as 'Chaos' mocked the death of the former champion's ex-manager and also criticized his father.
If doing so to Usman was enough to allow improve things between the two drastically, it could improve things with Edwards as well. By coming clean and being sincere about playing a character for the sole purpose of drawing interest in the fight, he could earn some goodwill from Edwards.
#2. Colby Covington could apologize for the remark directly
The UFC 296 post-fight press conference was defined by Colby Covington's refusal to apologize for speaking ill of Leon Edwards' father, who was murdered outside of a nightclub when Edwards was just 13. In fact, he doubled down on his trash talk and even accused Edwards' late father of being sex trafficker.
By doing what everyone has implored him to and apologize for making such a distasteful remark about his opponent's father, he would be addressing the very thing that Edwards specifically took issue with. The Englishman explicitly stated that he was forced to withhold his emotions on fight night.
He criticized Covington for using his father's death as entertainment. By finally apologizing, he could earn some of Edwards' respect.
#1. Colby Covington could donate to Leon Edwards' OnSide charity
Leon Edwards grew up surrounded by crime. To keep other children from straying to the path that he was once walked, the welterweight champion founded a youth mentoring program called OnSide, which is led by him, former UFC light heavyweight Jimi Manuwa and ex-UFC fighter Darren Till.
Check out Leon Edwards talking about his OnSide charity in the clip below:
The point of the program is to teach children martial arts and provide them with a platform to channel their energy into something healthy and constructive. By donating to OnSide, Colby Covington could prove the genuine nature of his real personality.
He could even punctuate it by apologizing to Edwards in private, while donating his fight purse to OnSide.
