If Masvidal is Out, Chiesa Fighting Colby Covington Makes Sense

The second Fight Island event of 2021 has just concluded! In the main event, Michael Chiesa proved the oddsmakers wrong by earning a dominant decision victory over Neil Magny. It didn’t take him long to make his next challenge. Many are now calling to see Chiesa fighting Colby Covington later this year.

It’s a fantastic fight for the welterweight division. There’s reason to believe the victor could earn a shot against the winner of Usman vs. Burns later this year. Today, we’ll take a look at what could lead to this bout coming together.

Let’s get into it!

Michael Chiesa Proved He’s Elite With Win Over Neil Magny

The UFC’s welterweight division is perhaps the most competitive in the sport of MMA right now. Breaking into the top-10 of this weight class is an extreme challenge. Moving up through the rankings of this division is even harder.

Back in June of 2012, Michael Chiesa officially made his debut with the UFC. Over the next six years, he steadily made his way up the lightweight rankings. After back-to-back losses, however, he vowed to move up in weight to remove the drastic weight cut that came with every training camp.

This decision has proven to be a good one. Chiesa quickly racked up three wins in the division against high-level competition. He was then booked to take on Neil Magny in the biggest fight of his career on 2021’s second Fight Island event. After the original main event fell through, Chiesa vs. Magny was moved into the headlining spot.

Many fans were torn as to who would come out on top. The majority of UFC betting sites had Magny coming in as the slight favorite. Once the fight began, however, it became clear that Chiesa had a clear advantage on the ground.

“The Maverick” landed takedowns throughout the fight and threatened with several submissions. Magny was able to make it to the final bell and Micheal was declared the clear winner via unanimous decision. This win solidified Michael Chiesa as a legitimate title contender.

There are several massive welterweight bouts scheduled to take place over the next few months. After today’s event, many are calling for another important 170-pound clash.

Will We See Chiesa Fighting Colby Covington This Year?

As we mentioned earlier, the UFC’s welterweight division is stacked from top to bottom. It’s anyone’s guess who will end up being declared the champion by the end of the year. There are some massive welterweight bouts taking place soon.

Colby Covington is currently ranked as the number-one contender in the division. He’s only lost once since 2015 and that came in a fantastic bout against the champion, Kamaru Usman. UFC President Dana White has confirmed that Colby will need one more victory before earning a shot at the title, though.

Some now feel that we should see Chiesa fighting Colby Covington sometime this year. The originally-planned fight between Covington and Masvidal seems to be falling apart. Chiesa now believes that he is the perfect man to step into that role.

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On the #UFCFightIsland8 post-show, @MikeMav22 explained that he’s the one offering Colby Covington an opportunity to fight and not the other way around. pic.twitter.com/Dootmd5Ykp

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) January 20, 2021

“Because he’s the toughest matchup for me,” Covington said when asked why he challenged Colby. “Stylistically, that guy should beat me on any given Sunday. From a physical standpoint, from a mental warfare standpoint, there’s not a lot of boxes you can check that favor me for that fight. But how can I say I want to be a champion if I don’t want to fight these guys? Sometimes the best guys are the ones that are the toughest for you stylistically. So when I look at the top-five, I think that’s the hardest fight for me. We’ll see what happens. If I come up short, I come up short but I want the best so I’ve got to fight the best and that’s the guy.”

It’s an extremely bold move on Chiesa’s part. Colby Covington is one of the most disliked individuals in MMA. His skill inside the cage is undeniable, though. His combination of elite wrestling and constant striking makes him a formidable opponent for any man.

The UFC might be on-board with this idea, too. It will take a few weeks for company officials to decide on what is next. We’ll be sure to offer updates as soon as they come out!

Usman vs. Burns is Now Official For UFC 258 on February 13

Kamaru Usman won the UFC’s welterweight championship back in March of 2019. He’s since gone on to defend the title on two different occasions. Those defenses came against elite competition in both Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal.

For months, rumors have been circulating that Usman would next be defending his title against Gilbert Burns at UFC 258. It’s a matchup that certainly makes sense. Burns is riding a four-fight win streak in the welterweight division including a victory over the former champion, Tyron Woodley.

This week, the welterweight title clash between Usman and Burns was confirmed to take place on February 13. It’s an incredible matchup between two elite-level fighters. Many are curious to see if the jiu-jitsu arsenal of Burns could give Usman trouble.

BetOnline is now offering odds on this incredible fight. The champion comes in with odds of -250 to get the victory. He should be able to keep the fight standing with his wrestling game. There, he can land heavy punches on the outside, similar to the ones against Colby Covington.

Burns might be a solid bet with current odds of +210. He has shown new life in the 170-pound division. It wouldn’t be a shock to see him land a knockout shot or dive onto a submission in order to get the victory. We’ll offer more odds on this bout as it draws closer.

Do you want to see Chiesa fighting Colby Covington in the future? Who do you expect to get the victory? Let us know in the comments section below!