Colby Covington believes he was partially responsible for Leon Edwards knocking out Kamaru Usman: “I’m the one that loosened up that chin”

Colby Covington believes he was somewhat responsible for Leon Edwards’ iconic knockout victory over Kamaru Usman.

Next month at UFC 296, Colby Covington will challenge Leon Edwards for the UFC welterweight championship. This will serve as his third crack at undisputed gold following two unsuccessful battles with the aforementioned Kamaru Usman.

Despite losing on two occasions, both of his battles with ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ were quite close. Many would’ve loved to have seen a trilogy bout, but at this stage, it seems unlikely.

RELATED: COLBY COVINGTON REVEALS THE “BIGGEST CHALLENGE” LEON EDWARDS POSES TO HIM AT UFC 296

Ahead of his clash with ‘Rocky’, Covington revealed how he reacted to Edwards’ now-iconic KO win over Usman during an interview with UFC.com.

Covington believes he helped Edwards

“My initial reaction was shock. I didn’t expect it to go like that, but I also realize that this is a sport like football, where you can land a Hail Mary, and that’s what happened,” Covington said. “He was losing the whole fight and in the last minute he landed his Hail Mary kick and it landed in the right spot. Usman made the wrong read and took his foot off the gas, and he paid the price.”

“No doubt about it, I took the fight out of Usman,” Covington said. “His chin was never the same and I’m the one that loosened up that chin. I head kicked him and had him on wobbly legs, then he calls timeout. It’s not like Leon did something that I hadn’t already done.”

Quotes via UFC.com

Regardless of whether or not you believe him, nobody can deny that ‘Chaos’ continues to serve as one of MMA’s most controversial figures.

Are you excited to see Colby Covington challenge Leon Edwards for the belt? Who is your favorite to win? Let us know, BJPENN Nation!