Does Colby Covington deserve the next UFC welterweight title shot? Chael Sonnen breaks down

Chael Sonnen has chimed in on the potential title fight between Colby Covington and Leon Edwards. Sonnen notably alluded to the fact that MMA fans and experts alike are divided in their opinion regarding whether Covington deserves to face Edwards for the latter's UFC welterweight title next.

In an edition of Beyond the Fight, MMA fighter-turned-analyst Chael Sonnen suggested that Covington is currently the most deserving of the next title shot against 'Rocky.' He opined that some might argue that fighters such as Shavkat Rakhmonov, Belal Muhammad, or perhaps the winner of the upcoming Gilbert Burns vs. Jorge Masvidal fight should face Edwards next.

Regardless, Chael Sonnen believes that Colby Covington is presently the biggest fight that the UFC can book for Leon Edwards and that 'Rocky' needs Covington. He insinuated that 'Chaos' has maintained a relatively low profile since allegedly being attacked by Masvidal in March 2022.

Chael Sonnen added, however, that Covington recently resurfaced during UFC 286 fight week earlier this month and dominated the headlines in the MMA media.

He appeared to suggest that 'Chaos' has already generated interest in a possible clash against Leon Edwards and could hype it up even more in the ensuing months. Expounding upon why Covington deserves the next title shot against Edwards, Sonnen stated:

"Colby's had his head in the sand for a year. He resurfaced five days ago, and he stomped all of you in the headlines. Stomped you! He has stomped -- It's not even close."

Additionally, Chael Sonnen implied that he doesn't necessarily fault Leon Edwards for not understanding the trash talk and promotional aspect of the fight game like Colby Covington does. Sonnen said:

"Colby is crushing you guys, and he's been hiding out for a year. I only bring that to you because it's really something that you want to look at. It's not a side that Leon understands. And you know what? There's something very endearing about that."

Watch Sonnen discuss the topic at 9:28 in the video below:

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Colby Covington on Dana White naming him as the next challenger for Leon Edwards

UFC president Dana White recently announced that Colby Covington will likely receive the next crack at UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards. In an interview with Submission Radio, Colby Covington responded to the same and indicated that White knows that he's deserving of the title shot as he's one of the UFC's biggest draws.

The former interim UFC welterweight champion, who's hinted that he'd like to face Leon Edwards during International Fight Week in July, vowed to become the next undisputed UFC welterweight champion by beating 'Rocky.' Moreover, 'Chaos' claimed that he's a much better fighter than Edwards. Reiterating that his star power makes him deserving of a title shot, Colby Covington said:

"It comes from the numbers, numbers don't lie and everybody knows I draw the numbers. Whether you love me or whether you hate me, everybody wants to see me right now." [23:20 - 23:38]

Watch Covington's interview below: