Kamaru Usman has hinted at a potential super-fight with Nate Diaz should the Stockton Slugger get past Leon Edwards next month at UFC 262. However, this raises the question – Is Kamaru Usman ducking Colby Covington?
It won’t be wrong to say that Colby Covington has given the toughest challenge to Kamaru Usman inside the UFC Octagon, barring the submission loss that came way in his MMA career. Covington was resilient in the face of Usman, going 2-2 in the final round, however, a brutal right hand would once again come in handy for Usman, who picked up a stoppage win the fifth round to defend his welterweight strap.
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Needless to say, even UFC president Dana White couldn’t help but appreciate Covington for his performance, and for a man who talks a lot, the Chaos proved why he might just be the guy to dethrone Kamaru Usman.
The Nigerian Nightmare has almost cleared the entire division and recently picked up his 14th consecutive win inside the Octagon with a stoppage finish over Jorge Masvidal at UFC 261. In the process, Usman became the first fighter to get a KO victory over Gamebred.
Be that as it may, Covington believes that he has what it takes to beat the welterweight champion and did not look too impressed with Usman’s striking against Masvidal. UFC president Dana White announced to the media that Covington is next for Usman, the Nigerian Nightmare doesn’t seem to be too interested in fighting Covington next.
Kamaru Usman vs Nate Diaz next?
When Kamaru Usman was asked whether he would switch his attention to super-fights now that he has proved his credibility with back-to-back stoppage wins over Gilbert Burns and Jorge Masvidal, and earned the respect of fight fans around the world.
The Nigierian Nightmare smiled and said that while he doesn’t know what the future holds, he feels like there are several fights that can be made. Usman also pointed at Nick Diaz, who was present in the building ahead of his much anticipated UFC return.
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Needless to say, should Nate Diaz triumph over #3 ranked Leon Edwards next month, there’s a likely possibility that Usman would be more inclined towards fighting a more popular Diaz than settling his rivalry with a more dangerous Colby Covington. Usman also pointed out how most of the welterweights are just waiting for him to call his name, and demanded activity from the division.
It’s hard not to agree with Usman. While Masvidal has only fought against Kamaru Usman since 2020, which includes two losses, Covington returned against Woodley and has only fought once since 2020. It will be interesting to see what lies ahead for Kamaru Usman, however, one thing that looks to be true, is that if there is a chance to land a fight with another opponent, Usman looks more inclined towards fighting them rather than a rematch with Colby Covington.
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