Colby Covington has raised a few eyebrows by claiming that he does not know who Khamzat Chimaev is. 

The unbeaten Chimaev, who has won six of his last nine fights by knockout, has previously challenged Covington to a fight and warned the 'result will be the same' if the fight ends up happening.  

The 27-year-old from Chechnya, who of course holds the record for the quickest three fight win streak in UFC history, has stopped all nine of his previous opponents in the pro ranks.  

However, Covington has said that he has never heard of Chimaev, and suggested that he should face a top-ranked opponent before mentioning his name.

“I’ve never even heard of him," Covington said to James Lynch. "Does this guy have a ranked win yet? Oh, he doesn’t.

"They were just hyping up journeyman street Judas [Jorge] Masvidal like he was this world beater and he’s gonna [sic] baptize people. We just saw what happened to him, he was unconscious in the Octagon.

"Everybody’s hyping these kids up these days. That’s the state and age of the UFC. It’s all about hype.

"There’s no credibility - I wouldn’t say there’s no credibility, it's a great organization - but the way people get the hype on them is just a complete joke."

Covington, 33, won his last fight at UFC Fight Night 178 in September 2020, after his opponent, Tyron Woodley, was forced out of their fight in the fifth round after suffering a rib injury.

"Go out there and show it with your resume," he added. "Look at my resume. Multiple UFC champions on it that I’ve beaten.

"When a guy decides to beat multiple UFC champions and beats the best guys in the world, then come holler at me, and I’ll hit you down a step."

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