In the aftermath of Colby Covington‘s recent loss to UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, fellow contender Gilbert Burns has raised skepticism regarding the legitimacy of Covington’s claimed foot injury. Covington, 35, resurfaced in the media spotlight, displaying an X-ray purportedly showing a fracture in his left foot allegedly sustained during his bout with Edwards. However, Burns, hailing from the same Miami, Fla. area as Covington, has expressed doubts, citing observations of Covington’s seemingly unaffected mobility in their shared locale.
“I don’t think he — he was going everywhere here,” Burns shared with The AllStar. “I saw him walking everywhere. The X-ray, I don’t see his name on the X-ray. I don’t know. Then we saw him walk everywhere in Miami, playing poker, going everywhere. I didn’t see no cast, I didn’t see anything. So, I don’t know.”
Gilbert Burns questions the validity of Colby Covington’s X-ray:
“I saw him walking everywhere. I don’t see his name on the x-ray.
We saw this guy walking everywhere in Miami, playing poker, going everywhere, I didn’t see no cast.”
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Burns’ skepticism extends beyond Covington’s injury claim, questioning the former interim titleholder’s overall performance against Edwards. Despite Covington’s assertions that the injury hindered his ability to execute his trademark high-volume pressure wrestling style, Burns believes Edwards simply outclassed him.
“It’s very hard to believe anything Colby says. You don’t know when it’s true, he’s a character,” Burns remarked. “I just think a lot of guys said he didn’t show up [in the fight]. I think he did show up, but I think Leon just shut him down and I think Leon is — people don’t give him a lot of credit, but I think he’s very, very good. He just shut the guy down.”
Looking ahead, Covington eyes a summer return, with Burns potentially on his radar pending the latter’s upcoming bout against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 299. While Burns acknowledges Covington as a long-desired opponent, he questions the relevance of such a matchup in light of Covington’s recent performance.
“I saw a couple things, saying that he might fight Ian Garry or me,” Burns revealed. “Is that fight still relevant? Like, the way that guy showed up, two years without fighting. I don’t know. I’m not even thinking of this guy. I called this guy out so many times. He had so many opportunities to fight me. Now my focus is on Jack.”
Despite Burns’ recent setback against Belal Muhammad, Edwards’s coach Dave Lovell has still touted Burns as a viable title contender, underscoring the Brazilian’s standing within the welterweight division. Burns remains optimistic about his trajectory, viewing himself as just a step or two away from another shot at championship gold.
“I like it,” Burns affirmed. “I know I’m super close to get to a title shot. I think it’s gonna happen. I still got a lot in me. That’s the thing that I go to sleep thinking about. I wake up thinking about it and I put a lot of energy into my training because of that. I think it kind of tells my value and I like it.”
As Burns sets his sights on Della Maddalena, the question lingers: amidst doubts surrounding Covington’s injury and performance, will a potential clash with Burns remain a relevant and compelling narrative in the welterweight division? Only time will tell.
