"There is no argument here" - GSP's coach is sure Colby Covington took Kamaru Usman down during their UFC 268 fight
Firas Zahabi has asserted Colby Covington did score a takedown against Kamaru Usman at UFC 268.
Colby Covington faced UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in a rematch at UFC 268. The back-and-forth fight ended with Usman winning via unanimous decision.
While Usman scored a couple of knockdowns in the fight, Covington, too, had his moments. ‘Chaos’ notably found success in a grappling exchange near the end of round three, where he latched onto Usman’s back and took him down to the mat.
Nevertheless, it was revealed the UFC’s official statisticians didn’t award Colby Covington the takedown. Apparently, despite taking Usman to the mat multiple times during the exchange, Covington couldn’t maintain control for an appreciable amount of time, which is why he wasn’t awarded the takedown.
Tristar Gym’s Firas Zahabi addressed this during a Q&A session on his YouTube channel. Praising Kamaru Usman for the improvements he’s made since his first fight against Colby Covington, Zahabi stated:
“It seemed like Kamaru improved more than Colby in that time.” Zahabi then highlighted that ‘Chaos’ did take Usman down at UFC 268. He said, “I felt that Usman’s striking got better. And, okay, we didn’t see them wrestle in the first fight, but his wrestling was on point. And Colby did score one takedown. Even though, statistically, they didn’t give it to him, guys, don’t argue. Please. That was a takedown. There is no argument here.”
“Show that to a hundred wrestling coaches, a thousand wrestling (coaches), they’re all gonna tell you, ‘Yeah. That’s a takedown.’ Both knees are on the floor. The guy is on his waist. Takedown. Okay? Kamaru gets taken down once, but it wasn’t a determining factor. It didn’t change anything in the fight. It didn’t win the round per se for Colby. It was just a close fight. That was the round, I think, that was the closest. I might have given Usman that round, the one where he gets taken down. I still thought that Usman won it.” Zahabi added, “Yes, he did take Usman down, but it wasn’t a decisive factor. It didn’t change anything in the fight. Usman’s striking is sharper than ever. He improved more than Colby Covington. That’s the truth.”
Watch Firas Zahabi’s breakdown of the Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington rematch in the video below:
Colby Covington has his sights set on Jorge Masvidal and a potential trilogy fight against Kamaru Usman
Colby Covington lost to UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman via fifth-round TKO at UFC 245 in December 2019 and via unanimous decision at UFC 268 earlier this month.
The rematch delivered and in the end, Usman and Covington embrace after 5️⃣ rounds at #UFC268 https://t.co/fHUa8Tna6D
Regardless, the former interim UFC welterweight champion has vowed to win the undisputed title. Covington’s currently lobbying for a fight against friend-turned-foe Jorge Masvidal.
Heard Street Judas The Fragile Guy Is Out With Hurt Feelings…. WHO Could’ve Predicted That?! 🤷♂️ https://t.co/kOBul0vklX
Colby Covington aims to defeat ‘Gamebred,’ earn a trilogy fight against archrival Kamaru Usman, and finally capture the undisputed UFC welterweight title.