Chael Sonnen is uncertain about Colby Covington’s future after UFC 296.
Covington (17-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) fell short in his third crack at undisputed gold when he lost a unanimous decision to welterweight champion Leon Edwards (22-3 MMA, 14-2 UFC) in this past Saturday’s main event at T-Mobile Arena.
UFC play-by-play commentator Jon Anik suggested Shavkat Rakhmonov next for Covington, which Covington shut down at the post-fight news conference. Sonnen doesn’t see Covington climbing the ladder and wonders if he’ll ever fight again.
“I love your suggestion of Rakhmonov. I’m just not sure Dana will even make that suggestion to Colby,” Sonnen said during the UFC 296 post-fight show. “What I worry about is will he take it? I don’t know where his heart is at. To go up that mountain as many times as he did. Colby’s career is a riddle.
“He’s had three world title fights, he was an interim champion, he never lost, he woke up one day, he wasn’t the interim champion. He fought the reigning ‘BMF’ champion, dominated him, and never became ‘BMF’ champion. I think that there’s some real frustrations. I just don’t know if he wants to start over. That’s the hard truth. I don’t know that we see Colby Covington again.”
Despite the lackluster loss, Covington said he has no intention of walking away. “Chaos” wasn’t keen on the suggestion to fight Rakhmonov but instead called out former title challenger Stephen Thompson, who was submitted by Rakhmonov at UFC 296.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.
