After two years and two fights, the two top welterweights in the world finally found a way to make peace. For one night, anyway.
But what mattered most at the conclusion of UFC 268 from Madison Square Garden was that Kamaru Usman is now 2-0 against bitter rival Colby Covington after winning a unanimous decision, 48-47, 48-47, 49-46, that was closer than the scorecards would indicate.
“It’s a lot of trash talk. It’s a lot of bad blood here,” said Usman (20-1, 10 finishes) in the octagon after the decision was read, referring to the bitter war of words with Covington (16-3, eight finishes) dating back to 2019. “But he’s a tough son of a b—h”
Usman’s respect for the challenger, who the champ defeated via fifth-round TKO in December 2019 in a win that failed to bury the hatchet, came moments after he and Covington looked to offer mutual props to one another as they awaited the decision.
“When you share an octagon with someone this tough, you can’t help it that respect is gonna come,” Usman said.
The Guy Report 