Ben Askren Trashes “Too Dumb” Colby Covington For Trusting UFC

Ben Askren will make his promotional debut this weekend at UFC 235, but he still found some time to throw some shade at former interim welterweight champ Colby Covington.

Covington is currently engaged in a bitter war of words with UFC President Dana White regarding his hierarchy within the promotion. Covington has actually gone so far as to threaten legal action and requesting his outright release.

Askren, however, isn’t buying what Covington is selling.

“Colby’s got no skills,” Askren said Monday at a UFC 235 media lunch (via MMAFighting). “He’s gotta fight. … If he doesn’t fight, I don’t think one person in the whole world will shed a tear. Like, thank god that era is over. I think the UFC made it more than it was because if you look at any of his social media he doesn’t have that many followers. There was never that much of a ‘We want to see Colby!’ It just wasn’t there. It was staged.”

Continues To Look Dumb

The brash Covington won the interim welterweight title at UFC 225 last year in Chicago when he defeated Rafael dos Anjos. That win should have set him up with a unification bout with champion Tyron Woodley but schedules never lined up. And for that Askren says, he wrongly thought the UFC was his “buddy.”

“Colby was too dumb,” Askren said. “He thought the promoter was his friend. He thought, ‘Hey, he’s my buddy, he’s gonna do everything good for me. He’s gonna take care of me.’ … He looks so dumb and he continues to look dumb.”

Askren may very well end up fighting Covington at some point but it won’t be anytime soon. “Funky” will make his debut this weekend at UFC 235 against Robbie Lawler while Woodley will defend against Kamaru Usman.

Meanwhile, Askren believes that if Covington can get his stuff together then he should be the next guy to challenge Woodley for the title.

“I think that’s the obvious next fight for Tyron,” Askren said. “It’s an easy one, too. Who doesn’t like easy money?”