Henry Cejudo would ‘lean towards’ Colby Covington against Khamzat Chimaev in a five-round fight 

Henry Cejudo chooses Colby Covington over Khamzat Chimaev in a five-round fight.

For the second time this year, UFC president Dana White has hinted at a potential fight between Covington and Chimaev. Though ‘Borz’ had some recent struggles on the scales — he missed weight by nearly eight pounds for Nate Diaz at UFC 279 this past September — White was willing to give him ‘one more opportunity’ at welterweight. As for an opponent, the UFC president tapped ’Chaos,’ who has yet to return to the Octagon after his unanimous decision over Jorge Masvidal.

Should the UFC schedule Covington vs. Chimaev, Cejudo would favor the former interim UFC welterweight champion. In a recent episode of his Fight Feedback series on YouTube, ‘Triple C’ explained why Covington has the edge over Chimaev.

“I’ve been looking forward to this fight with him and Khamzat Chimaev,” said Cejudo. “I think he’s the more experienced fighter. I think he’s wrestled a lot longer than Khamzat Chimaev. I think this is going to be a good fight. I think it’s going to come down to who’s recovered faster and quicker. And if this is a five-round fight, man, I almost want to lean towards Colby Covington, because as we saw in that Gilbert Burns fight with Khamzat Chimaev, I’m not sure if Chimaev could ever make 170 pounds.

“When you’re eight pounds over against a superstar like Nate Diaz and you don’t make the weight, there’s two options,” continued Cejudo. “One, you’re too big, or two, you’re scared. I don’t know which one it was, but if he could make the weight, my question is will Khamzat actually recover with the gas tank of this guy [Covington] that’s accustomed to making 170 pounds periodically.”

One of the greatest advantages Covington has is his cardio. The No. 2 welterweight has fought in five-round fights for the past three years. Cejudo said his ‘gas tank’ and ‘tenacity’ are the necessary tools to bounce Chimaev from the ranks of the unbeaten.

“What makes Colby Covington good is the fact that he has a gas tank,” said Cejudo. “That’s what it is. His spirit of American-style wrestling with the gas tank that he has, and I think that’s what really makes Colby Covington dangerous.”