Fresh from an impressive victory over Dong Hyun Kim on June 17 in Singapore, in-form welterweight Colby Covington chats to Fighters Only’s Tony Reid and expresses his desire to fight the best 170-pound fighters in the world.
Q: You are on a four-fight win streak and have just beaten top ten guy (Dong Hyun Kim). I assume you are looking to crack the top ten and skyrocket up the division. Is that right?
Colby Covington: After they saw what I did to the number seven guy in the world, they better put me in the top ten, start giving me respect and give me that big fight every time. These guys have been ducking me for a while. Just because I don’t have a ranking or number next to my name… those rankings don’t mean a lot, they don’t hold much in my heart. I will show that every time I step in the cage.
At the end of the day, it’s more political than those numbers actually holding any value. When we show up in the cage, those numbers are gone; it’s one-on-one and they can’t save you from fate.
Q: You speak often about fate and destiny. How strong are those feelings in your mind?
CC: Since I was a little kid, I have been dreaming of this. The past few years I have had visions and dreams of a belt wrapped around my waist. Even before my first loss, I had a vision that something like that was going to come up and it didn’t mean that I was going to lose to someone better but just that I was going to have a setback. That was going to fuel me for a stronger comeback. That’s exactly what it did. I worked on my weaknesses. I am a complete fighter now. I really feel like it is destiny for me to hold the UFC welterweight title. I am going to show you guys that those are not just words.
Q: It seems you aren’t so much worried about what your opponent brings, but they need to be worried about what you bring to the cage. Is that an accurate statement?
CC: Yeah, for sure. I don’t really watch tape on who I fight. That doesn’t mean anything to me. I don’t care what he is going to do. I am going to dictate the pace. At the end of the day, when you are in that Octagon with me it will be a test of wills. I feel like no man in the world can stand my test of wills. I truly believe that. I don’t think Tyron Woodley can handle that right now. I know guys like Robbie Lawler can’t. I train with those guys and I know they aren’t ready for that. Guys can talk and say whatever they want, but when they step in the cage with me they will be sorry.
Q: To have that level of confidence when facing the best guys in the world in training has to be a huge confidence boost.
CC: It has been a boost of confidence since the beginning of this journey at American Top Team. Having a best friend like Jorge Masvidal to train with every day has been great. I have been training with Robbie Lawler and Tyron Woodley for years, too. I train with killers every day. I improve leaps and bounds every day.
Q: You had a beef with Rafael Dos Anjos and said he hasn’t really taken the move to the welterweight division seriously. It appears as though he was trying to jump the line. Do you have any interest in throwing down with him?
CC: We will see. I wouldn’t mind being the guy to finish off his career. He is at the end. If they want me to finish his career, I will be that guy. I will be that destroyer. After beating Dong Hyun Kim, I’m not looking for a guy outside the top ten. I am looking to jump up into a contender fight with a top five guy like Robbie Lawler, Donald Cerrone, Neil Magny, someone who is up there in the top five. I don’t want to go backwards. I only want to go forward. I am looking for the biggest challenges. I’m not looking to take big money fights. I am going to create big money fights.
Q: You had some truly laugh-out-loud tweets directed toward Dos Anjos recently. You said if you guys were in jail he would be doing your laundry…
CC: Exactly. The same goes if we were at the mall and there was only one parking spot left and we made eye contact – he would know it was my parking spot. He’s my bitch. He knows what’s up. That’s why he didn’t want to fight me. He turned the fight down. He told the UFC he didn’t want to fight me because I was too dangerous.
Q: You have fought half of your UFC fights outside the States. What are your thoughts on being a globe-trotter and world traveler?
CC: That’s OK with me. I will probably be an international star before I am a star in America. If they want me to crash the party and be the bad guy that goes to other guys’ cities and beats them up in their own city, that’s fine with me. I can be the villain. I don’t mind it. It’s cool with me. As a kid, I always envisioned traveling the world. What better way to do it than beating up dudes for a living?
Q: You have such a strong belief in a predetermined outcome. Do you ever let your mind go to a place where you wonder what you might do for a living if combat sports doesn’t work out?
CC: Honestly, I don’t. Most people come into fighting with a back-up plan and a side job. I put all my eggs in this basket. I believe this is destiny. I believe that I won’t need another job. I didn’t have a back-up plan. I knew fighting was going to work out. I am just getting started. I am laying a foundation and I will be setting the stone real soon. I don’t think about anything else. I live this, day in and day out. I am completely committed to this. I am not a part-time fighter. I am a full-time fighter. I live, eat and breathe this every single day.
