The UFC’s welterweight division got more interesting with the news that pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev is moving up after vacating his lightweight title. Young contenders like Michael Morales and Ian Machado Garry are rising, while veterans like Kamaru Usman and Belal Muhammad keep things competitive.
Fans React to Colby Covington’s Role in Derek Brunson’s Welterweight Plan
Derek Bruson, the former UFC Middleweight contender, recently played matchmaker for the Welterweight division on X. In the hypothetical scenario, the 41-year-old shared a list of matchups he’d like to see:
- Jack Maddalena v Islam
- Covington #9 v Brady #2
- Morales #12 v Prates #13
- Belal #1 v Shavat #3
- Garry #6 v Leon #4
- Usman #5 v Buckley #7
- Burns #8 v Neal #10
- Wonderboy #11 vs. Page #15
If I was the matchmaker, this is what I’m doing next at Welterweight:
Jack Maddalena v Islam
Covington #9 v Brady #2
Morales #12 v Prates #13
Belal #1 v Shavat #3
Garry #6 v Leon #4
Usman #5 v Buckley #7
Burns #8 v Neal #10
Wonderboy #11 vs. Page #15
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson)
Fans took issue, particularly with the matchmaking between Colby Covington and Sean Brady. For context, Covington is on a two-fight losing streak and only has a win in his last four fights, with the victory coming against Jorge Masvidal in 2022.
On the other hand, Brady has only one pro loss, which came against Muhammad. He’s on a three-fight win streak and just submitted Edwards. He’s also ranked No. 2, while Covington sits at No. 9.
“Covington vs Brady is such a strange shout,” a fan wrote.
Covington vs brady is such a strange shout
— 𝖘𝖍𝖆𝖜𝖓 (@shawnsafk)
Another fan predicted a grim result for the two-time title contender if the matchup materialized: “Colby dies in that fight.”
Colby dies in that fight.
— Jeffrey Doherty (@doh42597)
One fan flat-out asked, “Why would Colby get number 2?”
Why would Colby get number 2
— MMAislife (@otfervin)
“Jeez… I stopped reading when I saw “Covington #9 vs Brady #2.” Another fan criticized the matchup.
“Burns vs Covington is clearly the fight to make. Why would you make Brady fight Colby? Makes no sense,” a fan suggested a better matchup for Covington.
Another fan agreed but also suggested alternative options: “Colby has no business fighting a top-five fighter. Colby vs. Burns makes perfect sense. Colby vs. Wonderboy and Colby vs. Page are great options, too.”
The UFC has already confirmed two of the fights Brunson wrote. Jack Della Maddalena will fight Makhachev later this year, and Usman and Joaquin Buckley will headline UFC Atlanta next month.
Stephen Thompson had expressed interest in fighting Carlos Prates after the Brazilian’s recent loss to Garry at UFC Kansas City. Thompson fighting Prates seems a better option, considering the UFC pairs fighters coming off losses.
Moreover, Maddalena and Muhammad got title shots after defeating Burns, a former challenger. Therefore, the promotion won’t likely pair Morales, who will make his top 10 debut in the rankings, with a fighter outside it.
Rakhmonov was promised a title shot, but no information on when he will return from injury is available. Similarly, Muhammad, who suffered severe damage in the fight against Maddalena, cannot return soon.
Garry vs Edwards has a backstory behind it, as they had trained together before the Irishman was asked to leave the gym. Moreover, stories of Edwards getting the upper hand in the training sessions have also surfaced.
However, Garry had been vocal about getting a shot at the title after Makhachev. Moreover, Brady has expressed interest in fighting “The Future.”
Burns vs Neal seems ideal, but “Durinho” only fought recently at UFC Vegas 106, losing to Morales via first-round knockout. Moreover, Neal was Prates’ original opponent before Garry replaced him. Therefore, it’s likely the UFC rebooks the original matchup.
Thompson vs Page won’t likely happen, and both have been vocal about their style negating each other, providing less entertainment for the fans. Moreover, they are also friends, sharing the same management team.