Colby Covington has been building up a fight with former UFC interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier even before he defeated Jorge Masvidal earlier this month.
But in a recent interview, Covington is revealing it was Poirier to start the whole beef, not him.
“It’s about holding these guys accountable,” Covington said on Submission Radio. “Dustin said it was on sight, man. He’s the one who said in an interview – I didn’t have to use Dustin’s name, he used my name in the interviews to get exposure to add value to his fight. So, if he didn’t use my name I’d never even talk about it. I could care less. And also his coaches saying, ‘oh, Dustin is going to be a bigger and better welterweight than he was lightweight, and he’s having a hard time making lightweight anymore’. So, why is he trying to pick on the guy in the corner that has a lisp, that is mentally handicapped and crippled? Nate Diaz is crippled, mentally and physically. That guy shouldn’t even be fighting anymore. So, if Dustin wants to pick on the crippled dude that has a lisp, Nate Diaz, why don’t you come fight the man? I’m the number one guy in the division. I thought you were telling the media about, ‘oh, my hopes and dreams and my title aspirations, 25 minutes paid in full’. So, if you want to come to 170 and you want the title, you gotta go through me. I am the title. I’m the biggest fight he can get. And he’s the one that’s saying that, ‘oh, if we fought in the streets we’re both going to jail’. Dustin, I thought you wanted to be a family man, you loved your kid, you loved your wife. If you love them, then you’re not going to fight me in the streets, cause I’m gonna leave you in a coma. You’re not going to be the same person when I drop you on your head. At least come get paid for it.”
Covington went on to explain that Poirier needs to take the fight to defend the honor of himself and his family, all of which Covington has taken aim at over the past few weeks.
“The biggest thing about Dustin Poirier, is if he wants to keep any honor and dignity for himself, he needs to come fight me,” Covington said. “Because, man, I’ve called out his wife, I’ve called out his family, called out his team, called out his friends. Man, if you have any respect for yourself, you have to come and at least try. Be a tryer, Dustin. But if you don’t try, then guys, this is gonna be another title for me – zero seconds tapout of round one in the UFC. This will be the fastest submission in UFC history. This will go in the Guinness World Record books, that Dustin didn’t even try. He got zero seconds tapped out a verbal submission in the first round of the UFC. So, we’ll have to see, boys. We’ll have to see if he tries.”
Covington thinks if Poirier doesn’t take the fight, he’s scared.
“This is the fight that needs to happen. The fans want this to happen,” he said. “What is he so scared of? I thought he was this great gangster Louisiana fucken gangster who knocked someone out. He’s gonna have to look in the mirror every day and be like, man, I’m a fucken coward. I ducked Colby Chaos Covington, I was fucken scared of him, I didn’t keep any honour and dignity for my family, for my wife. Like, dude, his ego is stronger than his pride for his family. Like, you gotta come out here and at least try. You gotta come out and try put it down. Like, otherwise, you’re not a man. You’re a bitch. You’re a coward. So, I’d feel bad to have to wake up every morning and look in the mirror and be like, damn, I was a coward. I didn’t stick up for my family, for my wife, for my kids, for my team, for my friend. All these people. It’s an L-L for him. It’s a lose/lose situation. He either loses and shows up and gets his ass whooped. He knows what’s gonna happen. But at least try. Dustin, you gotta at least try. But if he doesn’t try, then it’s a zero-seconds tapout of the first round in UFC history. And he knows he’s a bitch and he let his family and team get talked all over and he’s still a coward bitch and he’s gotta live with that for the rest of his life.”