What did Colby Covington say to Leon Edwards ahead of their title fight? A look at the UFC welterweight rivalry

Colby Covington is undeniably one of the most outspoken fighters in the UFC and is known for expressing his unfiltered takes without hesitation. The former interim welterweight champion is widely considered among the best wrestlers in the promotion and is often lauded for his impressive cardio as a fighter.

Covington took on Leon Edwards in a welterweight title fight at UFC 296 last December. Unsurprisingly, 'Chaos' deployed his gift of the gab in the lead-up to the fight and taunted the Englishman relentlessly. However, Covington got a plastic bottle flung at him by Edwards at the pre-fight presser after some of his comments seemingly crossed a line.

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What did Colby Covington say to Leon Edwards ahead of their title fight?

At the UFC 296 pre-fight press conference, Colby Covington was prepared to do or say anything to get under Leon Edwards' skin before they entered the octagon. During one segment of the presser, Covington brought up Edwards' late father and made an insensitive quip about him being in perdition.

For context, Edwards was born in Kingston, Jamaica. He grew up in a very rough neighborhood, being exposed to crime and violence at a very young age. Edwards has previously admitted that his father was involved in gang activity and was seemingly a gang leader who continued the criminal lifestyle even after the family relocated to England.

Edwards' father was tragically shot dead outside a nightclub due to some money squabbles when 'Rocky' was 14 years old. This had quite an impact on the young boy and is undeniably an emotional sore spot for him.

At the UFC 296 presser, Covington decided to squeeze Edwards' emotional pressure point and made a joke about the Englishman's late father. He said:

"On Saturday night, I'm going to bring you to a place you never want to be. I'm going to bring you to the seventh level of hell. We'll say what's up to your dad while we're there."

Covington's comments led an infuriated Edwards to throw a plastic bottle at him before trying to square up. However, security personnel managed to handle the situation, and no punches were thrown.

Edwards ultimately dominated Covington in the cage to win the fight via unanimous decision after five rounds of action.

Check out the video below: