Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards are ready to fight each other for the third at UFC 286. However, there will always be a possibility for one of the fighters to withdraw from the fight due to factors that may or may not be in their control. So UFC has announced a backup fighter for the main event, Colby Covington, and a UFC legend has lauded him for that.

‘Chaos’ Covington has found mixed results in his last five fights. He has won three and lost two of them. However, he made a surprise appearance at the UFC 286 weigh-in event. He will act as the backup fighter for Usman vs Edwards. His official recorded weight was 170 pounds.

The 35-year-old doesn’t look like he has much of a chance of replacing any of the fighters for the London headliner. However, UFC legend and Hall of Famer Michael Bisping has showered praise on the former interim champion in a UFC broadcast panel that took place after the weigh-ins.

Michael Bisping commends Colby Covington for stepping up as a backup fighter

‘The Count’ claims that people have to give props to ‘Chaos’ for stepping up and flying all the way for a fight that isn’t guaranteed. Bisping said, “Colby came here, not to fight, but he came here as a backup. That’s exactly what he is. But he’s not gonna fight because Leon’s a professional. But it does speak volumes about the character of Colby Covington.” 

Michael Bisping is confident that there is minimum to no chance that either of the main card fighters would opt out of the fight. But to come all the way and cut weight as a backup fighter, Bisping believes shows the mental fortitude of the former interim champion.

He said, “I say it all the time. It’s so hard to come here and train and do a weight cut for a fight that isn’t guaranteed. And it’s probably 99.9 percent not gonna happen. It shows such mental toughness.” 

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Covington previously had two encounters against ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’. But he is yet to register a victory against Usman. ‘Chaos’ lost the first fight via a fifth-round knockout, while the second loss came after Usman scored a unanimous decision. He was on a 7-fight winning streak before losing to the 20-2-0 record holder. However, Colby Covington is still one of the most controversial and popular names on the current UFC roster.

What are your thoughts on the backup fighter for the main event of UFC 286? Let us know in the comments below.

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