After UFC 261, Kamaru Usman is going to take on Colby Covington in a much-anticipated rematch. The first encounter between these two was one of the best fights in UFC history. Many fans believed that Colby Covington was winning the fight going into the 4th round. But, Kamaru Usman finished Covington in the final round via TKO.
However, the rivalry is not finished yet. Colby Covington has been campaigning for a rematch ever since his loss to Kamaru Usman. He has a dominant finish over Tyron Woodley since the loss that certainly makes him the number one contender. However, can he beat this version of Usman who is knocking out some of the toughest fighters in the welterweight division?
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The latest victim of the Nigerian Nightmare, Jorge Masvidal gave his prediction for the Kamaru Usman vs Colby Covington rematch in a recent interview with ESPN MMA. Jorge Masvidal has a fascinating insight on the reason why Covington did not wrestle in his first fight against Usman. Masvidal predicted:
“I think Kamaru keeps his hands up and comes to fight Colby the same fight he did the first time. Colby might try to get some takedown on and it might not work as well you know. Colby’s gas tank with other wrestlers it’s not something he wants to do that’s why he didn’t take a shot in the first fight because he knows he is going to have to get tired. As long as Kamaru is in a wrestling shape and comes in the same time as he did the first time he ends up pressing him. I think he breaks him again. His hands are where they need to be right now.”
Jorge Masvidal on who can beat Kamaru Usman at the welterweight division
Though Jorge Masvidal is leaning towards Kamaru Usman in the rematch against Colby Covington, he believes the fans might be up for an upset. When asked who can beat Usman in the welterweight division, Masvidal said:
“It’s a fight. It’s the fight game. There were people who were saying there was no way Rose could beat Weili and few people well it seemed like that I was going for Rose. It seemed there were more Weili fans atleast the people I was talking to. It’s MMA, it’s an amazing sport. There could be severe dominance and there could be this mixture of craziness.”
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Kamaru Usman’s striking has improved a lot since the first fight with Colby Covington. Though Covington put up an impressive performance against Woodley we have not seen significant improvement in Covington’s striking. Considering Usman’s recent wins, it’s needless to say that the champion will be a big favorite in the rematch against Covington.