Getty Colby Covington & Israel Adesanya
The No. 1-ranked UFC welterweight has a tall task in front of him, however that hasn’t stopped him from eyeing the 185-pound king.
Last week, UFC president Dana White revealed to ESPN that welterweight champion Kamaru Usman will rematch Colby Covington at UFC 268 in November. A date and location have not yet been set, but the promotion hopes to bring the event to Madison Square Garden in New York City, according to the outlet.
Usman vs. Covington is a rematch that seemed inevitable. The two went to war for five rounds at UFC 245 in December 2019 and Usman left the Octagon with the strap, defeating “Chaos” by fifth-round TKO. The clash was one of the most exciting 170-pound title fights in UFC history and coupled with the stoppage being somewhat controversial — Covington and some fans believe the fight was called off by the referee too early — a rematch was bound to happen.
And Covington (16-2 MMA) doesn’t just plan on exacting revenge on “The Nigerian Nightmare,” he then plans on moving up weight divisions to attempt to become a two-division champ.
In a recent YouTube video featuring Covington working out and speaking with Bang Energy CEO Jack Owoc, Chaos revealed his plans.
“I’m gonna fight in my weight class against Kamaru Usman. You know, I’m gonna get the world title at 170, welterweight,” Covington said. “And then I’m going to be working with you and Bang Energy to put on the muscle mass and we’re going to go up to middleweight, to 185 and we’re going to beat Israel Adesanya.”
Watch the video below:
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Covington Has Only Fought Once Since Losing to The Nigerian Nightmare
Fans have only seen Chaos inside the UFC’s Octagon once since his failed title bid in 2019. In September 2020, Covington made his anticipated return and took on former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley. Chaos impressed in the contest, taking it to the former champion for more of the fight and finishing “The Chosen One” in the fifth round by TKO.
After the victory, Covington called out two names: Usman and Jorge Masvidal. It appeared that Covington would go on to coach The Ultimate Fighter opposite Masvidal before fighting “Gamebred” to determine the next contender for Usman’s belt. However, the UFC went a different direction, granting Masvidal a rematch with The Nigerian Nightmare.
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Usman Has Defended His Belt 3 Times Since Fighting Covington at UFC 245
The Nigerian Nightmare has been much more active inside the cage since UFC 245, racking up three more title defenses. In July 2020, Usman fought Jorge Masvidal and won by unanimous decision. Then in February 2021, Usman took out Gilbert Burns by third-round TKO.
Usman then rematched Masvidal in April 2021, putting a stamp on the rivalry by knocking out Gamebred in the second round.
The welterweight champion currently boasts a professional MMA record of 19-1.
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