Colby Covington calls Zuffa Boxing 'a big slap in the face' and Conor Benn a 'bum' over $15m

The former interim UFC welterweight champion said Benn "quit in his fight" against Ryan Garcia, who stopped the Briton in the second round in September.

By Combat Sports UK Staff · Published Thu 5 Nov, 20:25 UK · AI-assisted reporting

Dana White puts the interim UFC welterweight belt on Colby Covington at UFC 225 — Photo: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Colby Covington has called Dana White's Zuffa Boxing "a big slap in the face to us UFC fighters" and branded Conor Benn "a nobody" over his reported $15 million deal.

"Ever since they got into the boxing space with the Zuffa Boxing, it just was like a big slap in the face to us UFC fighters," Covington told Ozoon Canada, speaking about UFC fighter pay.

"Why are you gonna pay this bum Conor Benn $15 million? Who the f*** is Conor Benn? ... He's a nobody and he quit in his fight," he said. Covington added that Benn "literally just went out there to collect a paycheck" and said he was out "in like three or four rounds" against Garcia.

Garcia stopped Benn in the second round of their WBC welterweight title fight in Las Vegas in September. Benn's single-fight Zuffa Boxing deal was reportedly worth $15 million, while Bloody Elbow puts the UFC's revenue share with its fighters below 20 per cent.

Covington retired from UFC competition after he was denied the spot he wanted on the UFC Freedom 250 card outside the White House in June, and has since been raising fighter pay.

He was submitted by Raul Rosas Jr in under 45 seconds in a Hype submission-only match in Rome on Tuesday, and wrestles Khamzat Chimaev for the RAF Cruiserweight Crossover Championship at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday 14 November.

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Colby Covington Khamzat Chimaev