Henry Cejudo thinks Covington has a edge over Khamzat Chimaev

Covington (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) has been talked about as a potential opponent for Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in a fight for the UFC title (17-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC). Cejudo believes Covington can beat Khamzat for the first time.

Due to his weight cut of 7.5 pounds, Chimaev was unable to face Nate Diaz at UFC 279. So, Cejudo is doubtful that Chimaev can maintain his performance at 170 pounds if that is the weight he chooses to stay at.

“I think he’s the more experienced fighter. He’s wrestled a lot longer than Khamzat Chimaev,” Cejudo said on his YouTube channel.

“I think this is gonna be a good fight. I think it’s gonna come down to who’s recovered faster and quicker. And if this is a five-round fight, I almost want to lean towards Colby Covington because, as we saw in that Gilbert Burns fight with Khamzat Chimaev, I’m not sure if Chimaev could ever make 170 pounds.”

He added, “If he could make the weight, my question is will Khamzat actually recover with the gas tank of this guy (Colby) who’s accustomed to making 170 pounds periodically.”

A breakdown of Covington’s bouts with Tyron Woodley, Kamaru Usman, and Jorge Masvidal was provided by Cejudo. He praised his resiliency and the way he was able to recover from being knocked down twice by Usman in their title fight at UFC 268.

“What makes Colby Covington good is the fact that he has a gas tank,” Cejudo said.

“That’s what that is, his spirit of American-style wrestling with the gas tank that he has, and I think that’s what really makes Colby Covington dangerous.”

Cejudo added, “His threshold is his biggest gift. This is where he beats people, his tenacity. When you fight and you wrestle, that’s when things actually get hard, and people are not accustomed to that. … I mean, the threshold to Colby Covington, I have to give this dirtbag a 10.”