Controversial UFC star Colby Covington couldn't resist a chance to stir the pot by launching stinging attacks on two of his biggest rivals - Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal

The former UFC interim welterweight champion taunted Usman for going 'off the grid', dismissed Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson's title aspirations, and accused Masvidal, his ex-teammate at American Top Team, of having a 'fragile' chin. 

Covington, who is coming off a fifth-round technical knockout of Tyron Woodley back in September, told MMA Fighting: "My side's finished, my side's already pretty much signed, sealed and delivered.

"They're just waiting on Marty, you know, ever since he beat that fragile dude, 'Street Judas' Masvidal, he's been running.

"But he just found out there's nowhere left to hide and he's going to have to face me inside that octagon sooner than later. So, as soon as Marty, you now, his balls stop shrinking, he comes back to Earth, he can fight me again."

Colby Covington

"But the thing is, he's off the grid, he's hiding right now, he's probably got his phone on airplane mode, he's denying all the UFC's calls, you know, so he doesn't want to sign the contract. He's just hoping some alien invasion happens where he can just pick some other lightweight washout to fight again.

"But now he knows there's nowhere else for him to go; it's me and him, round two. Too much controversy in the first fight, like, I don't care what anybody says, you can't claim to be this champion, you can't claim to be this all-time great fighter if you don't prove the doubters wrong and prove the fans right, you know, you didn't win that fight fairly the first time and here we go, round two.

"Usman Covington round two, I can't wait for it to happen and it's only up to him when it's going to happen. It might take a couple of months, might take who knows, maybe a year by the time he signs the contract. But it will happen, it's going to happen, and the UFC has reassured me of that." 

Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson

Switching his attack to Thompson, Covington continued: “The guy is a joke. He thinks he’s cool with his karate. He’s not a well-rounded fighter and he doesn’t deserve anything.

"He’s already had his title shots. He doesn’t deserve anything. Honestly, he should probably just retire.

“He’s gonna get hurt, for sure. He’s gonna come back for a paycheck, and these guys don’t know when to leave. You’ve got to know when it’s your time to hang it up.

"Your time has passed, you’re gonna get really hurt if you want to stay in this. But some guys want to take a paycheck to ruin their health.”

Covington (16-2), 33, of Clovis, California, concedes that Thompson is a highly skilled karateka, although that appears to be it as far as he is concerned.

“The thing is, ‘The Karate Kid’ - which is a joke he’s still calling himself a kid - the guy’s a 40-year-old virgin, he drives kids around in a karate van and wants to call himself a boy," he said.

"No, you’re a grown ass man, you’re almost a grandfather now. You can see the gray hairs coming out of the side of your head.

“If anything, that guy needs to stop complaining, man. He’s had, what, two or three title shots? He’s had more title shots than anyone in this division."

Colby Covington

He continued: "He got destroyed by Woodley. He got dropped, bloody. Man, the guy’s a bum. I don’t know why he’s trying to talk like he deserves a title shot.

"You just got knocked out by Anthony Pettis like a year or two ago. A lightweight, a guy that’s not even signed by the UFC anymore. You’re on a two-fight winning streak.

"Your last fight you were beating a busboy for Outback Steakhouse. Think about that for a second.”

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