LOS ANGELES – UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley again blasted Colby Covington, saying the interim title holder “should be embarrassed” for declining a unification fight.

“He’s basically shown us he’s a (expletive), and he never really wanted to fight in the first place,” Woodley told reporters backstage at UFC 227, which took place Saturday at Staples Center.

Woodley (18-3-1 MMA, 8-2-1 UFC) said Covington (14-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) is “not the interim champion” despite a recent photo-op with the belt at the White House with Donald Trump. UFC President Dana White has said Covington will retain the title until Woodley meets Darren Till at UFC 228. But for Woodley, his chapter with Covington is over.

Asked whether Covington was next, the welterweight champ responded, “no” and added, “That was for you guys. I’m willing to beat anybody. You guys, the fans, and Brazil, and all the people he disrespected, and people that knew his antics were complete frickin’ horrible scripted elementary antics, you guys wanted to see him get his ass whooped. And I was just going to do it because he was next up.”

Covington recently underwent surgery to correct a “nasal issue” and said he needed time to recover from training camps, targeting October or November to fight Woodley. The UFC decided it would strip Covington of the belt after he declined a fight at UFC 228 on Sept. 8 in Dallas, which Till (17-0-1 MMA, 5-0-1 UFC) accepted.

Woodley said he’s now over the back-and-forth with Covington and wants to move on with his career. He claims he allowed Covington to wage a verbal campaign for a title shot because “our sport needed it.”

“It was quiet,” Woodley said. “Jon (Jones) was gone. Conor (McGregor) was gone. Ronda (Rousey) said peace out. What did we really have? So why am I going to shutter his dreams and remove the cape on his whole show. Hey, if it builds up a fight with me, I’ll make some money. You’re the easiest matchup in the division. Why not let it go forward?

“Now, it’s a different opponent (in Till), one that style-wise presents way more threats to me. Bigger, stronger, more powerful, hungrier, and actually means what he says. He doesn’t say much, but what he says he really means it.”

After a staredown with Till, who carries a noticeable advantage in weight, height and reach, Woodley said his attention is where it should be.

“What you think I should focus on? That terrible-ass (‘Make America Great Again’) hat (Covington) had on (at the White House), or this middleweight that’s going to kill himself trying to come down and take my belt?” Woodley said.

For more on UFC 228, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.