Kamaru Usman thinks welterweight champion Leon Edwards should take matters into his own hands if he thinks the UFC is siding with Colby Covington.
Edwards (21-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) will look to make his second title defense when he meets Covington (17-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 296 main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on ESPN+.
In a recent interview on “The MMA Hour,” Edwards said he thinks both former U.S. President Donald Trump and the UFC are rooting for Covington to win. Usman explains that the UFC doesn’t have a personal preference; it’s just business. He thinks Covington is “undeniably” the bigger star.
“The UFC doesn’t care,” Usman said on ESPN’s “DC & RC.” “The UFC wants who’s going to make the most money. That’s who they care about. They are a company, and they’re trying to bring in revenue.”
Usman doesn’t disagree with former foe Edwards’ thinking but advises him to change that notion.
“Leon, if you feel that the UFC wants him to win because it brings them more money, well, change that,” Usman said. “You be that cash cow. You be that guy that brings in more money. So, I don’t want to hear that from a champion, because that just sounds like whining to me. You want to change the narrative, then go out there and change that narrative.”
Former champion Usman defeated Covington twice in back-and-forth title fights but wound up losing his belt to Edwards at UFC 278 after notching five title defenses. He then went on to lose the trilogy to Edwards in a close decision loss at UFC 286.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.
