Dana White Humiliates Colby Covington With Rejection as UFC 310 Opponent Gets Confirmed for Shavkat Rakhmonov

It looks like Colby Covington will have to wait a little longer to make his return to the Octagon. The former interim welterweight champion has been out of action since he came up short in his quest for the title against Leon Edwards at UFC 296 in 2023. So, how about a chance at the interim title once again for 'Chaos'? It appears that UFC boss Dana White isn't too keen on the idea.

Due to Belal Muhammad suffering from a bone infection, he's out of his UFC 310 welterweight title bout against the undefeated Kazakh phenom, Shavkat Rakhmonov. As such, Covington recently revealed that he had quickly raised his hand to step in. But this time, Dana White didn't bite. Instead, he appears to have another plan in mind for UFC 310—and Covington wasn't a part of it!

Colby Covington left on the sidelines as Dana White chooses a "different route" for UFC 310 According to a recent interview with Submission Radio, shared on Instagram by Championship Rounds, Colby Covington stated, "I told the UFC that I was willing to step up to the plate, I would love to save the show... I think (the UFC) had other plans... looks like they're going a different route. They're going to go with potentially Usman vs (Shavkat)"

While getting his offer denied might be a massive letdown for Covington, Shavkat Rakhmonov is determined to prove that he deserves a title. During a recent appearance on 'The Ariel Helwani Show', 'Nomad' stressed his desire for the interim belt and the credibility Kamaru Usman would bring as an opponent.

Through an interpreter, he confidently declared, "I'm ready to save the card too if it's for the interim belt. I believe Usman would be ready to jump in to face me. Belal don't need to be greedy. If I become interim champ, he's still going to have a belt too. And it's going to be champ vs champ, even bigger fight."

It's a bold move, but one fitting for a fighter whose trajectory has been nothing short of meteoric with a 6-0 UFC run with all finishes so far. Could a battle with Usman finally secure his place among the division's elite? After all, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' was a dominant champion at 170 lbs. and his last loss at UFC 294 came against Khamzat Chimaev in a short-notice middleweight bout.

Behind the scenes, negotiations are reportedly underway to make this interim fight a reality. Rakhmonov's manager, Sayat Abdrakhmanov, also hinted that the UFC and Dana White may be in talks with Kamaru Usman, noting that it's not yet clear if any other fighter has been approached. So, where does that leave Colby Covington? Well, a surprising figure has thrown his name into the ring for a chance to face off against 'Chaos'!

Paddy Pimblett calls out Covington for a fight and blasts his "fake" persona Paddy 'The Baddy' Pimblett is back on the scene, and he's looking for a fight that could make waves in the UFC. After a standout victory over Bobby 'King' Green at UFC 304 earlier this summer, Pimblett is ready for bigger challenges. Now, he has his eyes on Colby Covington and Conor McGregor —two names that have the potential to take his career to the next level with a fight against either man.

In a recent interview with OLGB, Pimblett stated, "Yeah, if they got on me now and said do you want to fight Conor McGregor in December. Of course I'd say yes, I'm not stupid. Or Colby as well, because I think he's a p—-. He is so fake." For him, Covington's persona feels more like a wrestling gimmick than the raw authenticity that he himself brings to the cage. 'The Baddy' further stated, "I'm not having another fight camp without making weight, so I'll fight at the weight above so I'll fight Colby or I'll fight Conor. If they want me to fight either of them."