If Ian Machado Garry isn’t next, Colby Covington is looking up in the UFC welterweight rankings.

Covington (17-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) denied Garry’s claims that he was offered a matchup with the Irishman and insists that he’s the one concerned that Garry (14-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) won’t show up.

When asked whom he’d ideally like to fight, three-time former title challenger Covington pointed to top contender Belal Muhammad (23-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC), who is expected to be welterweight champion Leon Edwards’ next title challenger.

“Maybe this kid (Belal) Muhammad, who’s been talking a lot,” Covington said on “The Rush” podcast. “He’s up there in the rankings above me. So, I think if I beat that guy, it gets me right back to a title fight.

“I don’t know, anybody. I could fight Joe Schmo off the street, and I’m going to get the same paycheck. It’s going to be a high-level fight. Every time I get on the mic you know I’m going to sell that sh*t to the moon.”

Another name that interests Covington is Khamzat Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC), who’s currently focused on making a middleweight title run. Chimaev is coming off a narrow decision win over former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and is slated to face Robert Whittaker at UFC on ABC 6 on June 22 in Saudi Arabia.

“In a five-round fight, I would be super intrigued by that fight,” Covington said of Chimaev. “I always told them I want this guy in a main event. I don’t think he can last. His cardio doesn’t look that good. His last fight he fought Usman at 185 on one weeks’ notice, and I thought Usman won the fight.

“He landed more strikes. He came out the first round, he wrestled him, and he didn’t do any damage. The second and third rounds, he was just coasting to a victory. I think he’s going to get exposed soon. He doesn’t have good cardio, and he’s not as good as everybody thinks he is.”

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