Colby Covington insists his title shot is deserving unlike UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards’ when he got his.

Covington (17-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) challenges Edwards (20-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) for the 170-pound title in the UFC 296 headliner Dec. 16 in Las Vegas. Covington, who’s most recent victory came in a lopsided decision over Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272, received flack for being handed a title shot after losing twice to then-champ Kamaru Usman. But Covington said Edwards never deserved his title shot against Usman at UFC 278.

“He had the right matchups at the right time to get to that point in his career,” Covington told UFC.com. “He fought a lightweight washout in Nate Diaz and sat out almost two years to get his title shot. I don’t think he warranted getting a title shot after beating that guy.

“He just cried ‘I deserve this, I deserve that’ instead of just going out there and working for it or earning it like I did. I had to earn it the hard way. No one gave me this spot to fight for the undisputed title. I had to earn it. I had to go the unconventional way because the straight-ahead way wasn’t available. He didn’t earn it the hard way like I did, and Dec. 16 he’s going to find out that he’s going to get broken by the American dream.”

Covington hasn’t competed since March 2022, but the former interim champ said it wasn’t by choice. Covington weighed in as a backup for Edwards’ title-fight rematch with Usman at UFC 286 this past March, but his services weren’t needed.

“This sitting out bullsh*t has been tough because I’ve wanted to fight,” Covington said. “Every fight I’ve accepted. Against Khamzat Chimaev, Dustin Poirier, and some other guys in the division that the UFC were trying to match up, but they didn’t want to fight.

“It just made me hungrier, and it made me realize how much I love this sport. I don’t feel alive until I’m in that UFC octagon. That’s when I feel the most alive in my life, and I feel like that’s the true meaning.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.