“Colby Covington Stung Me a Couple of Times”: Kamaru Usman Looks Back at His First Title Defense

In the lead up to UFC 245, Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman were involved in numerous heated arguments and managed to do what Nick Diaz would have called, “wolf tickets.” Back in Dec. In 2019, Usman defended the UFC gold against Covington. The main event of UFC 245 took place inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The two men went to and fro in a blockbuster outing but it was Usman who secured a fifth-round TKO triumph.

It’s not always that an anticipated match-up exceeds expectations. Usman versus Covington did just that at UFC 245. There was blood-bubbling pressure, bragging, bloodying, punching, kicking and battering every round of the fight. Usman and Covington battled for four tough rounds before Usman secured the finish in the fifth.

Usman talks about his rivalry with Colby Covington

However, it wasn’t just a marketing tactic that a lot of fighters, especially Colby Covington has adopted. It was something more than that. Kamaru Usman, in a recent interaction with UFC presenter and commentator Joe Rogan, spoke about his rivalry with the former interim champion, Colby Covington.

“That fight was a lot more personal that a lot of people think. You know, obviously the whole situation with my dad, and he saying whatever he said. People say certain things, and Conor is a master at this. To try to get you off your game, to rattle you, make you mad enough.”

Also: “It Would Be a Striking Battle”: Colby Covington On a Potential Super Fight With Khabib Nurmagomedov

Usman said about Colby Covington’s approach towards the title match, which saw a lot a trash talk and drama before the eventual showdown at UFC 245.

“He said a lot. He did a lot. Saying all the things that you said, ruffling all the feathers that you ruffled. And coming out, he took a beating form the fans. The backlash that he took, he took a humongous and you rightfully saw it.” Usman added, “I want to see how he bounces back. Because he never had to do it before. He never has to do all that shit, and then go in there and get his mouth shut. Like literally.”

Kamaru Usman also praised Covington for the courage and grit he showed inside the octagon. After suffering a broken jaw in the third round, Covington managed to last till the fifth round and earned the respect of every MMA fan in the process. Usman did not seem to take that away from Covington, as he appreciated him for what he brought inside the octagon at UFC 245.

“But hats off to him. He is a tough guy. I don’t take anything away from him. He fought a very good fight. The most I have ever been hit ever. He was hitting me, touching me. I was never really hurt bad, but they were stinging shots. They stung me a couple of times.”

What’s next for Kamaru Usman?

Kamaru Usman could be looking at a title defense against Jorge Masvidal in 2020. After a successful title defense against Colby Covington, Usman looks set to walk inside the octagon once again. Jorge Masvidal had an incredible 2019, with three brilliant victories to his name. Kamaru Usman vs Jorge Masvidal for the UFC welterweight championship is an incredible match-up that is sure to get the crowd’s attention.