"He's doing the same thing his daddy Khabib did" - Colby Covington makes feelings known on Islam Makhachev potentially moving up to welterweight

UFC welterweight veteran Colby Covington recently spoke out about the growing speculation surrounding Islam Makhachev's potential move up to his division. The reigning UFC lightweight champion, like his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov, is looking to establish a lasting legacy in the promotion.

In a recent interview with Submission Radio, 'Chaos' gave a definitive answer on Makhachev's desire to compete in the UFC 170-pound division. Covington dismissed this notion as a bluff, claiming that the UFC lightweight champion wouldn't move to the welterweight division, similar to 'The 'Eagle'.

He said:

"He's doing the same thing his daddy Khabib [Nurmagomedov] did... They're never gonna do it, they talk, and talk, and talk, but they'll never actually do it. So, you know, he's just taking the same playbook out of Khabib's playbook, all act like you're bigger than life and you're this pound-for-pound GOAT."

Check out Colby Covington's comments on Islam Makhachev below (14:45):

Since becoming the champion at UFC 280, Makhachev has maintained an unblemished fight record. He has successfully defended his 155-pound title against Dustin Poirier, Alexander Volkanovski, and Renato Moicano.

Brimming high in confidence due to his fight performances, Makhachev is eager to achieve 'champ-champ' status.

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Belal Muhammad is ready to vacate his welterweight title for Islam Makhachev

Belal Muhammad currently reigns as the UFC welterweight champion. In his quest for the 170-pound UFC gold, Muhammad trained alongside Islam Makhachev and under the guidance of Khabib Nurmagomedov. Their growing friendship has led both fighters to be reluctant about facing each other in the octagon.

Interestingly, 'Remember the Name' has a solution for the dilemma. To avoid any clash with Makhachev, the UFC welterweight champion hinted at vacating his title and moving up to the middleweight division.

He told Barstool:

"I would rather go up to 185 and just let him take 170 if that's the case. Since I've already had to fight my way up to 170 and I've beaten five top-ten guys, I'm two fights away from being able to challenge at 185 and saying, yeah, I want to be double champ."

Check out Belal Muhammad's comments below: