Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington will collide against each other inside the octagon in a rematch at UFC 268 on November 6. With their first fight consisting of spectacular moments, fans can expect something similar in this main event clash.
Speaking about these fighters, both Usman and Covington are unarguably the best welterweight fighters of this generation. The Nigerian Nightmare and Chaos are exceptionally skilled in all facets of the game. However, they are extremely superior in terms of wrestling.
Consequently, both fighters have numerous achievements in wrestling over the course of their career. As a result, let us compare their wrestling credentials and find out which fighter is a better wrestler.
Covington vs Usman: Wrestling comparison
As mentioned earlier both fighters are elite wrestlers and have achieved a lot in their respective careers. However, if we compare the two welterweights, it looks like Kamaru Usman is slightly better than Colby Covington in grappling.
Owing to the fact that the UFC welterweight champion has a superior reach and height advantage over Chaos. Kamaru has a reach of 76 inches and stands 6 feet tall. Meanwhile, Colby is 5ft 11 inches tall with a reach of 72 inches. As a result, Usman’s significant physical edge would make it difficult for Covington to take him down.
In addition to that, Kamaru has a stellar control time of 1:56:56 and he ranks sixth among all fighters in the UFC. Besides the Nigerian Nightmare is the only fighter in the promotion who has never been taken down. These stats are good enough to show Kamaru’s level of wrestling.
However, Colby is not too far off in comparison to Kamaru as the former contender has landed 61 takedowns and is ranked tenth among all fighters in the UFC for takedowns landed. Hence it would be very close if you compare the skills of these two fighters in wrestling.
Achievements of Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington in Wrestling
Kamaru Usman started wrestling in his sophomore year in college. The UFC welterweight champion amassed a mind-blowing record of 53 wins and 3 losses in his high school wrestling career. During this period, the Nigerian Nightmare finished third in the Texas State Championships.
Thereafter Usman wrestled in Nebraska in 2010 where he became the NCAA Division two champion in the 174-pound category. In this season, Kamaru compiled a record of 30-1. Currently, the welterweight champion is training at ONX under Trevor Witman and Jorge Santiago
On the other hand, Covington started his wrestling career at Thurston High School in Oregon. Over there he won the state championship as a senior. Subsequently, he moved to Iowa central community college and won the national junior college wrestling title as a freshman. During his title run, The Chaos was undefeated and had a record of 34-0.
Moving forward, Colby won the Pac-10 championship in successive years. But his biggest achievement in wrestling was his gold medal win for the United States at the 2013 World Championship. Currently, Covington is training at MMA Masters with head coach Daniel Valverde. Until September 2020, The Chaos was training at American Top Team.
Therefore both fighters have achieved a lot in their respective wrestling career and are on a path to becoming the best welterweight fighter of all time.