Colby Covington next fight: Why did 'Chaos' weigh in at UFC 286?

Could Colby Covington's next fight be against the winner of the UFC 286 main event between Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman? Following Covington's surprise appearance as the back-up fighter for this weekend's welterweight title bout, there is speculation about who 'Chaos' will face next in the octagon.

Covington was revealed as the emergency replacement fighter at today's official weigh-ins, and successfully made the 170-pound weight limit.

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Covington last competed against Jorge Masvidal in the main event of UFC 272 in March 2022, a bout which 'Chaos' won via a unanimous decision. Rumors of a fight against surging title contender Khamzat Chimaev have circled in recent months, but the UFC is yet to announce anything officially.

No.4-ranked welterweight contender Belal Muhammad has also called for a fight with Covington over recent months, even accusing 'Chaos' of avoiding him.

However, Colby Covington's shocking appearance at the UFC 286 weigh-ins could mean his next fight is for the welterweight title.

Several months ago, Alexander Volkanovski appeared as the back-up fighter for Charles Oliveira's bout against Islam Makhachev at UFC 280. 'The Great' was then granted a fight against Makhachev following the Dagestani's victory.

Should the UFC decide to continue this trend, Colby Covington could face the winner of the UFC 286 main event next.

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Michael Bisping comments on Colby Covington's appearance at UFC 286

Michael Bisping famously clashed with Colby Covington whilst interviewing the then-interim champion on Fox Sports. But 'The Count' recently commended 'Chaos' for showing up to UFC 286 as the back-up fighter for the main event.

Bisping believes that Covington's decision is a good reflection of his character. He noted that cutting weight for a fight you may not take part in is incredibly difficult to do. The former middleweight champion stated that Covington's decision may well push him to the front of the line for the next welterweight title shot:

"[Colby] came here as a back up [fighter]. But he won't fight, because Leon is a professional. But it does speak volumes about the character of Colby Covington. It's so hard to come here and train and do a weight cut for a fight that isn't guaranteed and is 99.9% not gonna happen... You've said to the UFC, 'Hey, I'm that guy, I'm dependable. Put me up next [for the title] because I'm here, ready and willing.'"

Watch the video below from 1:20: