Although Kamaru Usman was selected as the UFC’s backup plan for the UFC 228 main event, head president Dana White confirmed that interim welterweight champion Colby Covington will go on to face the winner of tonight’s headlining championship bout between Tyron Woodley and Darren Till.
White, 49, confirmed Covington as the next number one contender in a recent interview with BT Sport, per BJPenn.com’s Chris Taylor.
“Colby Covington is going to get the next shot,” White said. “Usman got the opportunity (as a backup) because Covington is hurt.”
Covington, 30, was originally expected to challenge Woodley for the title earlier this year but wanted the fight pushed back to a later date. Instead, the UFC granted Till with the title shot and the Liverpudlian will have the chance to become the second British champion in the promotion’s history. Michael Bisping became the UFC’s first British champ when he knocked out Luke Rockhold to win the middleweight title back in 2016.
Woodley, the reigning champ, will look to defend his title for the fourth time against his youngest challenger to date.
The UFC 228 pay-per-view takes place later tonight, September 8 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
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