Ian Machado Garry accuses Colby Covington of ducking fight: ‘He’s avoiding me like the plague’

Ian Machado Garry is putting the ball in Colby Covington’s court.

According to the undefeated welterweight contender, he has been pursuing a fight against Covington and Covington is yet to respond. Garry took to social media to give his take on the situation, which can be seen below.

“A month ago, I was offered a fight with Colby Covington,” Garry said. “It took me all of 20 seconds to respond to the e-mail saying, ‘Yes, I’m in.’

“A month later, we’ve still got no response from Colby. He’s avoiding me like the plague and there’s one reason and one reason only this fight isn’t happening and his name’s Colby Covington.”

Covington is yet to respond to Garry’s claim.

The callout makes a lot of sense for Garry, who seeks another statement win to secure a welterweight title shot. Covington sits at No. 6 in the UFC’s official rankings, one spot ahead of Garry. “The Future,” 8-0 in the UFC and 15-0 as a pro, is coming off of a unanimous decision win over former Bellator star Michael Page that failed to generate sparks.

Covington (17-4) has competed sporadically since 2019, though three of his appearances came in welterweight title fights. He lost twice to rival Kamaru Usman and in his most recent fight this past December, lost a lopsided decision to then-champion Leon Edwards.