Colby Covington destroys the whole of the UK in press conference, it hasn't gone down well

Colby Covington was in no mood to praise the United Kingdom ahead of UFC 268 – and his far-from-complimentary comments have been slated by fight fans.

The 25-year-old, who last fought in March 2022 when he earned a unanimous decision win over Jorge Masvidal, made the trip to London on Saturday night to watch Leon Edwards vs Kamaru Usman 3.

He was, of course, present at the O2 Arena to serve as backup for the main event but he was also declared No.1 contender for the welterweight belt by UFC president Dana White.

When asked whether he was open to the idea of Covington getting a next title shot, White said: "Yeah that's the fight that makes sense. Colby Covington came here, cut weight and was ready... he deserves the fight."

Covington certainly made his presence known throughout the weekend. In fact, before Leon Edwards picked up a points win over Usman on Saturday night, the American had already triggered the UK fan base.

In a pre-fight press conference, he said: “First off, thank you for welcoming me to the UK. I can’t say this has been a welcome place. The food sucks, the weather sucks, the girls definitely suck.

“But I mean, I do come from Miami — I’m the king of Miami — so it’s tough to compare to Miami.

“It hasn’t been an enjoyable trip. The only thing that would cap it off and make it so great is if Dana White comes and taps on my shoulder and I get to sub in tonight and go win that world title.”

Colby Covington on his visit to England for #UFC286

"I can't say this has been a welcome place. The food sucks, the weather sucks, the girls definitely suck but I mean, I do come from Miami, I'm the king of Miami.. It hasn't been an enjoyable trip"https://t.co/SpQpiNZwm0 pic.twitter.com/jLTActMTmq

— Sherdog (@sherdogdotcom) March 18, 2023

Here's how fans reacted to the comments made by Covington.

One said: "This guy is a true heel," while another wrote: "Dudes obviously never tried a fried breakfast with marmite on toast - he would change his tune then."

A third commented: "Dude is so fake. His trash talk is so transparent. Can’t wait for someone to shut him up."

A fourth added: "The cheer he got from the fans when he entered the arena, and this is how he speaks on our country. No class."

As mentioned above, Covington received a thunderous reception from fight fans during the sold-out event on Saturday night, but how many inside the O2 Arena watched the above press conference? Not many, we presume.

Leon 'Rocky' Edwards, meanwhile, is far from excited by the prospect of facing Covington for the title.