Colby Covington Wants A Fight With 'Sheep Lover' Khabib Nurmagomedov

Colby Covington has turned his attention away from Nate Diaz and towards both Khabib Nurmagomedov and Robert Whittaker, as he targets becoming the first UFC 'champ-champ-champ.'

Former interim welterweight champion Covington replied on Thursday to Diaz's suggestion that he didn't know who the 31-year-old but now he's going straight on the attack.

Speaking to MMAJunkie, Covington called out both Khabib and Whittaker, champions at lightweight and middleweight respectively, saying, "I can go down to lightweight and I can go up to middleweight. I'm looking to fight Whittaker, he's a bum. He's got no wrestling, he's got no heart, no cardio.

"Then Khabib? Come on. The sheep lover? He's got nothing for me. The guy is over is Russia playing with sheep. What's he going to do to raw American steel and twisted sex appeal? I got a lot of things in the plan."

Covington looked set to have a chance to win the welterweight title when he won the interim belt by beating Rafael dos Anjos in June 2018.

He was then set to face champion Tyron Woodley but needed to have nasal surgery and couldn't make the September 2018 date at UFC 228.

Instead Woodley had a successful defence against Darren Till on that date and Covington was stripped of the interim title, before Kamaru Usman beat the champion for the only belt.

Covington after beating Demian Maia in October 2017. Image: PA Images

'Chaos' Covington is hoping to fight Usman for the title at UFC 245 in November, having beaten Robbie Lawler on his comeback earlier this month, and would then like to add further gold to his collection, saying, "I want to be champ-champ-champ. I'm already breaking all the history books. Last fight (I had the) most significant strikes ever thrown, First Family front row. I want to be a champ-champ-champ."

Covington called Nate Diaz a 'journeyman' after the Stockton fighter had said he didn't know who the Californian born fighter was but a fight between the two doesn't look likely in the near future.

Can Covington really win gold at three weight divisions?

Topics: Khabib Nurmagomedov, Colby Covington, Nate Diaz, Jorge Masvidal, Robert Whittaker, UFC News, MMA News, UFC, MMA, Kamaru Usman, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Colby Covington, Nate Diaz, Jorge Masvidal, Robert Whittaker, UFC News, MMA News, UFC, MMA, Kamaru Usman

Ryan Sidle

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