UFC 245 is a story to behold. In what was an epic encounter between arguably two of the greatest welterweight fighters of all time, both Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington put up a performance of a lifetime. However, after everything was said and done, it was Kamaru Usman who triumphed over Colby Covington with a fifth-round TKO win to defend his welterweight strap. UFC president Dana White called it one of the greatest bouts in the history of the UFC, and rightfully so.
UFC 245 has gone down as one of the most exciting UFC PPVs of all time. With a lot of trash-talking in the lead-up to the fight, Colby Covington left no stones unturned to get in the nerves of Kamaru Usman. However, the Nigerian Nightmare remained calm, and composed during the entire lead-up, and showed championship mentality to triumph over a seasoned and incredibly tough Colby Covington.
Kamaru Usman won the first fight, and now after almost two years, both the fighters will share the UFC Octagon yet again at UFC 268 inside Madison Square Garden in New York. UFC 268 goes down on November 6, with a lot of other exciting match-ups.
How did Kamaru Usman vs Colby Covington play out at UFC 245?
Looking at Kamaru Usman’s dominant win over Tyron Woodley, many expected the Nigerian Nightmare to use his wrestling against Covington. However, there’s no denying Covington‘s fighting style is largely determined by his impressive wrestling. So when both the fighters decided to keep the wrestling away, and squared off against each other in a striking exchange, it wasn’t quite surprising.
Both Usman and Covington stood and traded, with both the fighters landing several significant strikes against each other. Going into the fifth round, both Covington and Usman were 2-2 on the judges’ scorecards, with Usman looking in much better condition and shape. While an argument can be made about the early stoppage in the fifth round which awarded Usman with the victory, it’s safe to say that the Nigerian Nightmare looked totally in control of the fifth round.
View this post on Instagram
Over the years, Kamaru Usman has grown a reputation for power, and his vicious KO win over Jorge Masvidal is testimony to his improved striking under Trevor Wittman. Meanwhile, Colby Covington is mostly known for his volume striking, his impeccable cardio, and his ability to mix things up.
While lingering back issues with both the fighters ensured a striking battle back at UFC 245, it’s safe to say that there will be a lot of aspects that we will get to see in the rematch at UFC 268. It’s an exciting match-up and one that is bound to get the attention of fight fans around the world. Here’s how you can stream UFC 268: Colby Covington vs Kamaru Usman 2.