UFC fighter Colby Covington threatened broadcaster Jon Anik over the commentator’s support of Belal Muhammad’s welterweight win over Leon Edwards.
Covington tore through Ani in an interview with MMA Fighting on Tuesday, saying he associated Muhammad with a “racist” and made a threat.
“But then you want to go backstage and cheer for a racist. So he associates it with racism and Belal Muhammad,” Covington said.
“And, you know, Jon Anik, friend, I don’t want your children to grow up without a father. Just realize you live in Boca, I live in Miami, mommy. You are not far from me. So you better shut up. Do you dig bear? Now you get the bear coming after you.’
UFC President Dana White said after Edwards defeated Kamaru Usman at UFC 286 that Covington was next in line for a title shot.
Anik appeared to endorse Muhammad’s shot in a tweet before the fight.
“Understand why Colby Covington was the sponsor, but hard not to feel for @bullyb170!” Ani wrote.
Colby Covington at UFC 272Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
UFC commentator Jon Anik at the UFC 273 press conferenceZuffa LLC
“9-fight winless streak. He has not lost in more than 4 years. Just KO a previously undefeated fighter. The man deserves his respect and I’m not saying he hosts a podcast with my twin brother.
Muhammad tweeted at Ani and suggested that Covington got the next shot because it was White, according to MMA Mania.
That was the crux of Covington’s racism argument.
Muhammad hasn’t lost a fight since 2019.
His initial fight with Edwards resulted in a no contest due to an eye poke.
He is currently fourth in the welterweight rankings.
Belal Muhammad (left) at a UFC event on April 16, 2022. Zuffa LLC
Whether or not Covington gets the title shot next, Edwards made it clear that Covington was not next in line.
“I definitely have a say in (who’s next),” Edwards said on the “MMA Hour.”
“Listen, he’s not going to get a title shot in the next fight. Look at the path I had to take to get there. There’s no way a guy I beat twice, go out and beat (Jorge) Masvidal, and then sit for a year and a half, not even tweet or do anything, lose for a year. , and then he randomly shows up at the weigh-ins and it’s like, “Okay, next one is fighting for the title.”
Leon Edwards is the welterweight championZuffa LLC via Getty Images
“It doesn’t make sense, so let’s see how it plays out. He has to go out there and earn his way like I had to do. Khamzat (Chimaev) and I had been calling each other for years. This is the guy I matched three times in a row. I (Chimaev) took the fight and (Covington) didn’t take the fight and he’s being rewarded for not taking the fight. When it was me, I was removed from the rankings. So ‘Dana White privilege’ is definitely real”.
Edwards added that Covington should have one more fight before getting the title nod.