Kamaru Usman reveals the real reason he called for the timeout in first fight after Colby Covington accused him of faking a 'nut shot'
Kamaru Usman has revealed why he called a timeout in the first fight against Colby Covington at UFC 245.
In an interview with Michael Bisping, Usman claimed that Covington grazed his protective cup guard in the second round. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' said:
"You [Colby Covington] make all the excuses and you said, 'Okay, that was a fake eye poke,' when the world watched you finger my eye. And you said, 'it was a fake nut shot,' when you grazed my cup [with a kick]. And, as [men] we anticipate that the pain is gonna come after you graze the cup and after that you said I took five minutes. [I took] literally 30 seconds... and you got stopped in the fifth round, you got put on your a** twice and you said, 'Oh Marc Goddard, it was all Marc Goddard!' Did it not have anything to do with me dropping you twice?"
Covington accused Usman of faking the nut shot to get a rest via a medical timeout. Fighters are offered five minutes to recover from a strike the referee deems illegal.
Watch the incident from the second round of their fight at UFC 245 below:
Covington blamed referee Marc Goddard for a premature stoppage in the fifth round despite looking defenseless to Usman's barrage of hammer fists.
Watch the first fight between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington below:
Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman will get a chance to settle their rivalry almost two years after their fight at UFC 245. The two will meet in a welterweight title rematch at UFC 268 on November 6.
Kamaru Usman feels he's "levels" above Colby Covington; vows to prove it on November 6
Kamaru Usman further revealed how he envisions the fight on Saturday going. He wants to showcase the difference in skillset between the two elite welterweights. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' said:
"Saturday night, you'll really see what I mean when I say that there's levels to this game. So, Saturday night you'll really see."
Watch Kamaru Usman's full interview with Michael Bisping for BT Sport below: