Ali Abdelaziz believes Colby Covington would earn a rematch against Kamaru Usman by defeating Leon Edwards in his next fight.

In the wake of Usman’s vicious knockout win over Jorge Masvidal, many fans have been convinced that another showdown with Covington is right around the corner. Their first fight, back at UFC 245, was contested over the UFC Welterweight Championship with “The Nigerian Nightmare” successfully defending his belt.

While Covington has beaten Tyron Woodley since then, Usman’s manager Abdelaziz thinks he needs to get another win behind him in order to really cement his status as the next guy in line for the belt.

“Kamaru Usman’s manager Ali Abdelaziz ( @AliAbdelaziz00 ) says Kamaru is still adamant Colby Covington doesn’t deserve a title shot, but Covington could change that by fighting Leon Edwards. As of right now, no indication that’s in UFC’s plans, with Leon/Diaz moving to June.”

Their team also seems to be interested in Usman defending the title against Michael Chiesa next and while that may seem like an appealing prospect to some, others want to see Usman and Covington go at it as soon as possible.

If Covington was going to go down the route of fighting Leon Edwards, he’d have to wait a while with “Rocky” still scheduled to take on Nate Diaz – even after news broke of the latter’s recent injury.

The welterweight division is full of guys who Usman has beaten in the past and if his manager is to be believed, they want some fresh meat as Kamaru continues to build his legacy as one of the greatest welterweights in the history of mixed martial arts.

Do you think Colby Covington should have to beat top contender Leon Edwards first before fighting Kamaru Usman again? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments, BJPENN Nation!