Report: Interim title bout between Dos Anjos, Covington targeted for UFC 224
UFC 224 could be in for another championship bout.
Verbal agreements are in place for an interim welterweight title fight between Rafael dos Anjos and Colby Covington for May 12 at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, sources told MMANytt's Damon Martin on Thursday after BJPenn.com's Chris Taylor first reported the matchup.
Both dos Anjos and Covington have relentlessly campaigned for a shot at reigning divisional champ Tyron Woodley on the strength of their 2017 victories over Robbie Lawler and Demian Maia, respectively, but with Woodley eyeing a July return from shoulder surgery, it appears the promotion would rather pit the top contenders against each other in order to determine a single challenger-in-waiting to his throne.
The 33-year-old dos Anjos has emerged as a veritable force since moving up from 155 pounds last June, picking up one-sided victories over Tarec Saffiedine, Neil Magny, and Lawler, the latter coming in what UFC president Dana White had anointed a title eliminator this past December.
Covington has won five straight and all but one of his nine promotional bouts, most recently taking a one-sided decision over Demian Maia in October at UFC Fight Night 119 in the ex-title challenger's native Sao Paulo.
In the bill's main event, bantamweight queen Amanda Nunes will defend her crown against Raquel Pennington.