UFC troll Covington coins crude Chimaev nickname, calls Covid ‘common cold’ after virus almost forced Chechen to retire (VIDEO)

You might think Colby Covington has his hands full enough with a rematch against dominant UFC welterweight destroyer Kamaru Usman this weekend, but the brash American is already looking ahead to his own potential title reign.

Covington and Usman will run it back at the fabled Madison Square Garden in New York in the headline act at UFC 268 on Saturday night, repeating their showdown from December 2019 which ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ won via a fifth-round TKO stoppage.

Usman, 34, has been held up as among the most formidable UFC champions of all time at 170lbs and is unbeaten in his last 18 fights spanning an eight-year period – which includes three victories since he defeated Covington.

The challenger, meanwhile, has fought just once since that loss at UFC 245, earning a fifth-round TKO win over faded former champion Tyron Woodley in September of last year.

But MAGA megafan Covington's brash persona has not been blunted by his absence, and as he prepares to meet Usman again he did not restrict his insults to the Nigerian-born star, instead taking potshots at fellow contenders to the welterweight throne.

That included up-and-coming Russian-born sensation Khamzat Chimaev, who returned to the Octagon last weekend at UFC 267 with a brutally clinical performance to submit China’s Li Jingliang in the first round of their bout in Abu Dhabi.

READ MORE: ‘I will kill everybody’: Screaming Chimaev needs less than 2 minutes to choke Li unconscious in 1st UFC fight in 13 months (VIDEO)

When asked at a Wednesday press conference whether a future title defense could come against Chimaev, Covington fell back on his knack of coining nicknames for his rivals – also bringing up the battle with Covid-19 which led to ‘Borz’ spending more than a year outside the Octagon.

“You know, cumshot Chimaev, he’s got to do a lot more work than get three fights in the UFC,” scoffed Covington.

“You guys hype these guys up real quick, but let’s not forget that he was put down by the common cold. He was ready to retire off the common cold.

“That’s a 99.9% survival rate of the common cold, and cumshot Chimaev was ready to give it up and retire. He doesn’t want to fight me, he’s a got a way less chance than 99.9% against me.

“As the people’s champion, I do what the people want and what the UFC wants.

"Whatever the biggest fight is, that's the fight I want. But I’ll leave that in the hands of the people and the UFC who they want me to fight next,” Covington added.

Chimaev – who is actually 4-0 in the UFC and 10-0 in his career – revealed his own thoughts on Covington before UFC 267 last weekend.

Speaking to Red Corner MMA, the 27-year-old Swedish-based star referred to 'Chaos' as “stupid American bullsh*t boy.”

“I don't know this guy,” said Chimaev.

“I swear I forgot his name today. He says he broke his jaw in his [defeat] against Kamaru Usman. All I can see is a stupid American bullsh*t boy. I'm coming for you too, bro.”