Covington justifies not fighting Garry: 'This kid's a nobody'

Colby Covington doesn't think it would've made sense to accept a fight with Ian Machado Garry.

The UFC welterweight contenders appeared to be on a collision course after exchanging jabs on social media over the past few months, but the matchup never came to fruition.

For Covington, it wasn't a big enough opportunity - and he wasn't ready to step back into the Octagon after breaking his foot in a loss to 170-pound champion Leon Edwards at UFC 296 last December.

"The biggest thing is I gotta get healthy," Covington said recently on the "SOSCAST" podcast. "I'm not gonna go rush out there on someone else's timeline. I'm on my own time. And the UFC knows that. I'm already a superstar, and I've made so much money, I don't need to fight ever again. It's really on my time, and I'll fight when I'm ready to fight, when I'm healthy.

"I want big fights. This kid's a nobody. He just got a split decision over the 12th-ranked kid. I've been fighting world champion after world champion for the last seven years straight. So why does this kid deserve to fight me? He's literally the B-side, and he thinks he calls the shots and is the A-side. I'm gonna get healthy and I'm gonna look for the biggest and best fights possible."

Garry is one of the most hyped up-and-comers in the division and is ranked No. 7. The 26-year-old Irishman is coming off a win over Geoff Neal and is scheduled to face Michael "Venom" Page at UFC 303 on June 29 in Las Vegas.