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Colby Covington is the current top contender for the UFC welterweight title. 'Chaos' had his last title match against current welterweight champion Kamaru 'The Nigerian Nightmare' Usman at UFC 245.
Covington lost the fight via a fifth-round TKO, which was seen by some as a controversial call made by British referee Marc Goddard.
Colby Covington went on to face former UFC welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley, on UFC Fight Night 178 on his way back to title contention. Covington dominated the fight for four rounds until it had to be stopped due to Woodley getting a rib injury during the fight.
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After Kamaru Usman's fight with Colby Covington, the Nigerian champion went on to beat Jorge Masvidal at UFC 251, Gilbert Burns at UFC 258 and Jorge Masvidal again at UFC 261.
In the post-fight press conference after Kamaru Usman's second victory over Jorge Masvidal, UFC president Dana White was asked if another fight between Covington and Usman could be made. The UFC president said:
"It's the fight to make, yeah. He's the number one guy in the world"
White's statement was met with disapproval from Usman and his manager Ali Abdelaziz on several counts, though.
Here are three reasons why Colby Covington can beat Kamaru Usman in a rematch:
#3 Colby Covington's trash talk may finally get to Kamaru Usman
Colby Covington is one of the UFC's best trash-talkers in the current roster. His previous fights since his victory over Demian Maia at UFC Fight Night 119 have seen a lot of trash-talking in their buildup.
While Colby Covington is accused of making trash-talk a part of an act to promote his fights, more often than not, he has taken things too far to make us question whether it is an act or not.
His patronage by former US President Donald Trump is also what makes him a powerful presence, if not a hated character.
Needless to say, Colby Covington's last fight with Usman saw a lot of trash-talking in its buildup. However, the shame of the loss did not stop Covington from trash-talking against the champion. After his victory over Tyron Woodley, Covington was interviewed by ESPN MMA, where Kamaru Usman was present. In the trash-talk that ensued, Covington was accused of making racist comments against Usman.
If this is how far Colby Covington is willing to go with his words at a time when the rematch wasn't even booked, one can only imagine what would happen when the fight is scheduled. Kamaru Usman has not faced anyone so aggressive and persistent. Hence we are yet to see how long he could hold his composure in a fight between him and Covington.
Colby Covington's trash-talk is complemented heavily by his gas tank. His gas tank has been compared to that of the Diaz brothers by Joe Rogan. Although Usman also has a gas tank that rivals Colby Covington's, the latter is at an advantage, as his trash-talk makes his opponents put themselves under the obligation of defeating him.
Usman is bound to make hasty decisions that could lead to him making mistakes in the final rounds of the fight. Colby Covington could capitalize on them if the trash-talk gets to his opponent.
#2 Colby Covington has a bigger striking arsenal
Both Usman and Covington have huge gas tanks to make use of their strikes until the end of the fight. Both fighters are evenly matched in making efficient use of their strikes to score points as well as hurt their opponents.
Had their last fight gone the distance, it could have most probably turned out to be a split draw, as the judges revealed the score of the final rounds where one judge had Covington winning at 39-37, another judge tied the fight at 38-38 and the third judge scored 39-37 in Usman's favor.
However, it is Covington who not only has more variation in his striking but also the ability to keep landing significant strikes for longer periods of time. While Usman predominantly relies on boxing in his stand-up game, Covington has spinning elbows, legs kicks, high kicks and tornado kicks in his arsenal.
Covington also holds the record for throwing the most significant strikes in a UFC bout with 541 strikes during his fight with Robbie Lawler at UFC on ESPN 5.
#1 Colby Covington is the more successful wrestler in MMA
Kamaru Usman has attempted 99 takedowns in his UFC career, out of which 28 have been successful. Usman also boasts a 100% takedown defense.
Colby Covington has attempted 112 takedowns in his UFC career, out of which 48 have been successful, which is a better success rate than Usman's. Covington may not boast the same level of takedown defense. However, he is certainly better than Usman in being offensive.
Moreover, Colby Covington did not bring his wrestling into play in their last fight. Hence, Usman may not be expecting his opponent to wrestle with him. Covington, therefore, has the option of surprising Kamaru Usman with a takedown in the final rounds once his opponent is tired enough. That could make him the first person to take Kamaru Usman down.
