Colby Covington details finding out that he is the UFC 286 backup

Colby Covington's absence from the mixed martial arts world ended at UFC 286 where he was present, serving as the backup fighter for the main event title fight between Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards. The No.2-ranked welterweight recently detailed how he found out he would be the backup fighter.

Speaking to Mike Heck of MMA Fighting, 'Chaos' stated:

"I was made aware Tuesday night. They called me like 9-10 p.m. I got on a call with Hunter Campbell and he confirmed that I was going to be the official backup - that if anybody pulled out, had a bad weight cut, anything, that I would step in to fight for the world championship, which rightfully so because I am the number two fighter in the world so I'm the next man up.

Colby Covington elaborated by adding:

"I was made aware Tuesday night. I got on a flight Wednesday morning, didn't get to London until Thursday morning. I had one day to cut the weight. I was 18 pounds over because I was indulging... It just showed how much of a professional I am that I'm ready to go anytime, anywhere, anyone and the UFC knows that."

Check out Colby Covington's comments on being the UFC 286 backup fighter below (starting at the 1:30 mark):

While Covington was the official backup for UFC 286, he was not needed as both Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards made weight. UFC President Dana White has claimed that 'Chaos' will be next in line to challenge 'Rocky' for the welterweight title.

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Colby Covington's absence makes him unworthy of title shot, claims Leon Edwards

Despite Dana White's claims, Colby Covington will not fight for the welterweight title in his next bout, according to champion Leon Edwards. While speaking with Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour, 'Rocky' stated:

"I definitely have a say and he ain't getting the title shot next fight... He's getting rewarded for not taking the [Khamzat Chimaev] fight. When it was me, I got removed from the rankings. The Dana White privilege is definitely real."

Check out Leon Edwards' full comments on Colby Covington below:

Edwards hinted that he will refuse to sign the contract if Covington is the opponent, claiming that the No.2-ranked welterweight's inactivity makes him undeserving of a title shot. Despite being called out by the four fighters directly underneath him in the rankings, 'Chaos' has not fought in over a year since defeating Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272.