Covington wants Woodley bout to headline card: 'I'm not a prelim fighter'

Colby Covington denied rumors that he turned down a fight with Tyron Woodley at UFC 249.

The former interim welterweight champion said he wanted to face Woodley in the April 18 main event but grew uninterested once the UFC booked Tony Ferguson versus Justin Gaethje as the new headliner.

"I'm a main event fighter," Covington told Submission Radio. "I'm not here to play second fiddle. I'm not a prelim fighter. ... I don't fight on the prelims. Me and Tyron Woodley are fighting on the main event."

Covington said the bout was "very close" to happening. But the UFC went in a different direction, announcing Ferguson-Gaethje on Monday, days after lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov withdrew from the card due to Russian travel restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic.

"We thought we had it locked up, and I was excited, man," Covington said. "I wanted to put on a show for the people, man. There's a global pandemic going on right now and I want to save sports."

"Chaos" initially offered to fight Woodley on short notice at the UFC's March 21 event after it was moved to the United States from London. However, the entire card ended up getting postponed.

"When I asked the UFC to fight Tyron Woodley on six days' notice ... I want five rounds to do it," Covington said. "I want to talk shit in an empty arena to Tyron Woodley in his ear the whole time as I expose him in front of the world."

Covington said he still wants to fight Woodley in the future, ideally on the private island being secured by UFC president Dana White for international events.