15 December 2023 , 03:36
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Leon Edwards and Colby Covington were separated by security at the UFC 296 press conference after an ugly joke was made about the Brit's late dad.
Edwards defends his UFC welterweight title against Covington at the promotion's final pay-per-view event of the year in Las Vegas on Saturday night. The rivals came face-to-face at the press conference on Thursday afternoon ahead of their grudge match and tensions flared between them straight away.
Covington has likened the world title fight to the 1776 American Revolutionary War and he came out on stage dressed as George Washington. "I'm a people's champion and I've got a question for the people," he said. "Did you come out here to support these redcoat motherf****** or did you come to be part of the American Revolution? 1776 baby, this is the American Revolution. General Washington started it and General Covington ends it."
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Edwards, who is unbeaten in his last 11 fights, took a dig at Covington's skillset by saying: "Who has he beat? Seriously, the last five fights he's beaten three washed up people. You can overlook at what he does in the octagon when he's f****ng dressed like that, he's a decent fighter but that won't save him on Saturday night."
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Things took a turn for the worst when Covington made a joke about Edwards' dad, who was murdered in a London nightclub when the Jamaican-born Brit was just 13. "You're the stupidest guy on the UFC roster, on Saturday night I'm bringing you to a place you never want to be. I'm bringing you to the seventh layer of hell, we'll say what's up to your dad whilst we're there," Covington said.
Edwards was understandably furious at Covington's disgusting remark as he threw a water bottle at him before they were separated by security. Covington continued to mock the Brit as he said: "Little f****ng p****. He's the ultimate feeling champion, he's no ultimate fighting champion. Better get the tissues ready."
Tensions were also high on stage between Paddy Pimblett and Tony Ferguson, who are also fighting on the pay-per-view card. 'The Baddy' snapped at Ferguson poking fun at him by saying: "When I'm standing over your unconscious body on Saturday night, you'll know who the f****ng boy is. I'll be ground and pounding your unconscious skull, you f****ng little bum."