Colby Covington Reveals Foot Injury During Lackluster UFC 296 Fight Against Leon Edwards
Colby Covington, following his underwhelming performance against Leon Edwards at UFC 296, initially attributed ring rust from nearly two years off as a factor. However, the outspoken welterweight now claims he also suffered an early fight injury. Covington alleges that he broke his foot within the first 30 seconds of the bout when Edwards’ elbow blocked his initial kick.
Podcast Confession on PBD
Covington made these revelations during an appearance on the PBD podcast. According to him, the injury occurred as Edwards’ elbow intercepted the first kick he threw. Although Covington sensed the severity of the injury, he refrained from informing his coaches in the corner. Fearful that the information would be picked up during the broadcast and reach Edwards, Covington chose to keep it to himself.
“I broke my foot in like the first 30 seconds of the fight, that people don’t know about yet – the X-rays will start coming out,” Covington stated on the podcast. He emphasized having a photo on his phone capturing the exact moment when his foot landed on Edwards’ elbow. The welterweight fighter described the swelling and pain, noting that he tried to endure it throughout the fight.
Observers noted Covington’s defensive approach from the fight’s outset, staying on his back foot near the cage as Edwards targeted him from the outside. While the first kick seemed to miss Edwards’ elbow, the reigning UFC welterweight champion landed a series of leg kicks that visibly affected Covington, causing substantial bruising on his thigh.
Impact on Performance
Covington believes that the foot injury significantly impacted his performance during the five-round fight against Edwards. He expressed difficulty stepping on his foot, leading to Edwards landing kicks on his right thigh. Covington clarified, “Because my left foot was broken, so I was kind of putting all my weight on my right thigh.”
As the fight progressed, Covington decided to endure the pain and lift his right leg to check Edwards’ kicks. He claims Edwards refrained from kicking in the later rounds, sensing that Covington was adapting to the timing. Despite Covington’s belief that the foot injury played a pivotal role, he ultimately lost the decision, marking his third unsuccessful attempt to win the undisputed UFC belt.
Post-fight, UFC CEO Dana White disagreed with Covington’s claim of deserving the victory, describing him as looking “slow and old.” Covington fell to a 2-3 record in his past five UFC fights, but he insists that the foot injury, limiting his mobility, was the primary factor behind his lackluster showing.
