By UFC 286 wasn’t just a big night for Leon Edwards, who put the customary double-stamp on his previous UFC Welterweight Title victory, but also for Colby Covington, who cemented his place as the #1 contender with a flawless performance against the pre-fight scale. With the title rematch slowing the division down and strong pushes from Belal Muhammad, unbeaten in his last nine bouts, and Shavkat Rakhmonov, 17-0 with 17 finishes and performance bonuses in his last three fights, Covington knew he needed an impressive showing to build off his one-fight winning streak since his second failed attempt to win a real UFC belt.
The scale entered the bout with a decisive victory over the division’s prior hot property Khamzat Chimaev last year, a result which chased the rising prospect from the division entirely. While the weight measuring device had its moments, forcing Covington to retreat behind cover early in the weigh-in, his gameplan of drinking less and sweating more in the prior days proved enough to get Covington his hard-earned shot.
