We’ve got it, the rematch we’ve been waiting for.
Current welterweight title holder, Kamaru Usman will take on number one contender, Colby Covington, for the second time in history.
Usman and Covington put on an absolute clinic for UFC fans, in an all out war in December 2019. With Usman scoring a late TKO after breaking Covington’s jaw. Covington went as far as to suggest there was a conspiracy against him in the first meeting.
Usman then went on to dominate the welterweight category, with wins over Jorge Masvidal and Gilbert Burns, Tyron Woodley, Rafael dos Anjos and Leon Edwards. While Covington has only gone on to win one since the first fight.
Dana White has praised Usman, calling him the best fighter on the planet right now after wiping out almost every contender in the welterweight division over the past few years.
“When you talk about Usman — Usman is without a doubt the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world right now,” White said when talking about the UFC welterweight champion during an interview with TSN earlier this year.
When it comes to Usman’s accomplishments, White says it’s not just about the wins he’s been amassing over the past few years but the devastating manner that he’s been delivering his victories.
“I mean when you look at what this guy has done and how he’s done it.
“Not just who he’s fought but what he’s done to the people he’s fought. Jorge Masvidal twice, Gilbert Burns, Colby Covington, Tyron Woodley, Rafael dos Anjos, Demian Maia, Leon Edwards. Pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.”
Although the two are bitter rivals, there is a level of respect from Usman for ‘Chaos’.
“He’s definitely up there,” Usman told Helen Yee. “I’m no hater, I give props where props are due. I think Colby probably is, I would put him in the top-15 welterweights of all time, as far as fighter-wise and skill-wise, the way that he fights. You may not like him personally, which I really don’t, but as far as skill-wise, he’s a good fighter. A very, very good fighter.”
The fight is gearing up to be a rematch for the ages, but that’s not where the card ends. Another rematch is set up, between women’s strawweight champion, Rose Namajunas and Zhang Weili.
Claiming the title after smashing Zhang in UFC 261 via a first-round head kick, but it seems the dominant performance isn’t a enough to have her odds-on favourite heading into this clash.
The card is rounded out with Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler in a light weight bout, which will inevitably set the victorious fighter up for a shot at a title fight.
MAIN CARD
Welterweight Title Fight
Kamaru Usman vs Colby Covington
Women’s Strawweight Title Fight
Rose Namajunas vs Zhang Weili
UNDER CARD
Lightweight Bout
Justin Gaethje vs Michael Chandler
Bantamweight Bout
Frankie Edgar vs Marlon Vera
Middleweight Bout
Alex Pereira vs Andreas Michailidis