Little more than a year ago, Colby Covington was mostly hot air, a young man with big aspirations and an abrasive public personality who had not yet accomplished anything of note on the elite MMA scene. Things have changed since then, at least somewhat. Covington still has the big aspirations and an abrasive public personality, but he’s bolstered his resume to the point where he is indisputably a factor in the UFC welterweight title picture.
After beating Demian Maia this past Saturday, Covington has now won five straight, a significant streak in a division that has generated some fresh talent over the last 12 months including Darren Till, Santiago Ponzinibbio, Kamaru Usman, Emil Meek and Mike Perry.