via Getty
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 14: (R-L) Kamaru Usman of Nigeria butts heads with Colby Covington in their UFC welterweight championship bout during the UFC 245 event at T-Mobile Arena on December 14, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
via Getty
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 14: (R-L) Kamaru Usman of Nigeria butts heads with Colby Covington in their UFC welterweight championship bout during the UFC 245 event at T-Mobile Arena on December 14, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
UFC President Dana White has big news for all fans. A breaking report has just confirmed that UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman will defend his title against long-time rival Colby Covington once again in November. ESPN’s Marc Raimondi shared that event has been booked for UFC 268. No venue or date has been finalized yet; however, the UFC is reportedly looking to book the mega-clash at Madison Square Garden, New York.
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Many fans and experts have wanted the two fighters to run it back ever since Kamaru Usman defeated Colby Covington at UFC 245 in late 2019. A fast-paced and aggressive fight between the two came to a stop in the fifth round.
Read More: Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington- a Bad Blooded Rivalry
However ‘Chaos’ Covington has since protested against the referee’s decision and claimed that it was an early stoppage. Some believe that UFC 245 was Kamaru Usman’s biggest and toughest challenge to date.
Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman- The Bad Blood
Coming into the second fight, Kamaru Usman has significantly improved his record and defended his belt against some of the best athletes in the welterweight division. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ is currently on a 14-fight win streak, only second to Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva’s 16-fight streak. With a vicious knockout of Jorge Masvidal at UFC 261 in April, he proved to all fans, supporters, and doubters that he deserves the welterweight throne in the UFC.
Kamaru Usman will meet Colby Covington in a welterweight title rematch at UFC 268 in November, Dana White told @bokamotoESPN.
The date and location are not finalized yet, but UFC is hoping for the fight to headline Madison Square Garden. pic.twitter.com/nqVAjgogO4
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 26, 2021
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Colby Covington has been inactive since he stopped Tyron ‘The Chosen One’ Woodley in round 5 in September 2020. Despite his inactivity, he has still won eight out of his last nine fights in the division. He now has a UFC record of 11 wins and 2 losses. Ever since his last victory, Colby Covington has been wanting to secure a rematch with the champion.
Among talks of Kamaru Usman possibly facing Leon Edwards or even Nate Diaz and manager Ali Abdelaziz taking shots at Covington, this fight announcement comes as a surprise to many. However, with the bad blood and the constant trash talk from both corners, most also thought that a rematch between the two was inevitable.
USA Today via Reuters
Dec 14, 2019; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Kamaru Usman (red gloves) fights Colby Covington (blue gloves) during UFC 245 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
In 2021, Usman has already faced top contenders like Gilbert Burns and Jorge Masvidal and is constantly training. Colby Covington has also been training behind the curtains; he even stepped in as a replacement fighter for the Usman-Masvidal fight. But this begs the question, could this be Kamaru Usman’s toughest title defense yet?
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Also Read: ‘I’ve Offered Him a Title Fight!’- Kamaru Usman Opens up on Conor McGregor’s Comments
