'His loss to me has destroyed him' - Kamaru Usman jibes at Colby Covington ahead of UFC 268 title fight
Kamaru Usman has taken a shot at archrival Colby Covington ahead of their highly anticipated rematch at UFC 268. Usman has claimed that losing to him in their first fight "destroyed" Covington.
The first encounter between UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and challenger Colby Covington witnessed ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ retain via fifth-round TKO. The fight transpired at UFC 245 in December 2019, and they’re now set to clash in a rematch at UFC 268.
Addressing their upcoming title fight, Usman stated:
“His loss to me has, I think, destroyed him. There’s just some athletes that are just gonna have to live with knowing that in the time where you existed someone else existed that was better than you. And I think that’s something he’s gonna have to live with, and I think it might eat at him for the rest of his life.”
Usman reiterated his confidence ahead of their rematch and claimed it will play out on his terms.
“I’m confident in the growth that I have made in my career. I’m confident in the growth that I have made in my style. I’m confident in the growth that I have made in my work, to where I think he’s going to understand that it’s a different level. I expect the rematch to be whatever I make it… If I feel like I wanna be systematic and dissect him and get him out of there early, I will do that. But if I feel like getting in a scrap, I might do that as well.”
You can watch the UFC 268 Countdown for the Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington matchup in the video below:
A fight against ‘The Chechen Wolf’ may loom on the horizon for the winner of Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington
The welterweight division has no shortage of dangerous fighters. However, most of the division’s top contenders are either coming off a loss or are matched up against each other.
Nevertheless, one name that stands out is Khamzat Chimaev. ‘The Chechen Wolf’ made a huge statement by defeating welterweight mainstay Li Jingliang via first-round submission at UFC 267 on October 30.
Given Chimaev's dominant performance at UFC 267, many believe the victor of the welterweight championship fight at UFC 268 could defend the title against the Chechen.
Chimaev has not faced a top-10-ranked fighter yet. However, considering the potential star power 'Borz' brings, it should not come as a surprise if UFC matchmakers schedule him for a championship fight against Kamaru Usman or Colby Covington.