Colby Covington shares unfiltered opinion on potential Michael Chandler fight, claims 'Iron' and Islam Makhachev are "weight bullies"

Colby Covington has given his unfiltered assessment of a potential fight against Michael Chandler. The ex-interim UFC welterweight champion also deemed Chandler and Islam Makhachev as weight bullies.

Speaking to Lucky Block in 2024, Chandler suggested that he hoped Joaquin Buckley would knock Colby Covington out at UFC Tampa (Dec. 14, 2024). Chandler, a perennial lightweight, also expressed interest in fighting Covington at welterweight. 'Chaos' fired back, accusing Chandler of chasing him for relevance.

During a recent interview with Submission Radio's Denis Shkuratov, Colby Covington was asked about a potential Chandler matchup. Covington answered by questioning whether Chandler really wants it:

"Now we've seen he just likes to get beat up. He likes to run his mouth, and there's no substance. He doesn't really back up what he says."

Watch Colby Covington lambast Michael Chandler in a separate interview from 2024 below:

'Chaos' suggested that the long-awaited Conor McGregor-Michael Chandler fight probably won't materialize because McGregor's comeback status is unclear. He, therefore, feels Chandler is pursuing the second-most lucrative matchup against him.

Covington claimed he'll fight Chandler if the UFC wants. He further accused Chandler of directing trash talk against him in interviews and then "fanboying" over him in person.

Addressing their potential welterweight showdown, Covington labeled Chandler and UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev as weight bullies. He said:

"I see myself overpowering him. You know? He's definitely done some steroids to bulk up. So '70 looks like a weight class he could fit into. He's a bigger guy. He weighs like, probably 190; probably weighs more than me. He's like a [Islam] Makhachev, where these guys are weight bullies. And they just love -- they're so good at cutting weight. Some of these guys, Denis, have perfected cutting weight."

Watch Colby Covington's assessment below (15:42):

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Michael Chandler's X poll against Colby Covington; 'Chaos' teases middleweight move

Back in December 2023, Colby Covington faced considerable criticism for referencing Leon Edwards' late father during their pre-fight press conference. Edwards ultimately defeated 'Chaos' via unanimous decision at UFC 296.

Around that time, Chandler notably conducted a poll on X, asking whether Covington is the "most hated man in the UFC." It drew 14,439 votes -- 56.5 percent saying yes, 43.5 percent saying no.

Michael Chandler extensively trained with one of Colby Covington's biggest rivals -- ex-UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman -- which adds another layer to the Covington-Chandler feud.

Chandler is coming off a unanimous decision defeat against Charles Oliveira in November 2024, whereas Covington lost via TKO to Joaquin Buckley in December. Also, 'Chaos' has hinted at a possible move to middleweight against Sean Strickland. Nevertheless, Covington's next opponent and comeback date haven't been officially announced yet.

Watch Covington's middleweight hint below: