5 reasons why Colby Covington should avoid striking with Kamaru Usman in their UFC 268 rematch

#2. Colby Covington's biggest asset is his wrestling

Colby Covington's strengths lie predominantly in wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Although he isn't as skilled as Burns in BJJ, his grappling game is second to none. He is a two-time NCAA All-American Division I champion, as well as a two-time Pac-10 champion.

According to official UFC statistics, Colby Covington has 48 successful takedowns of the 112 he has attempted so far. Interestingly, he has the same number of takedowns as Khabib after 13 fights in the UFC. Kamaru Usman, meanwhile, has only 28 successful takedowns of the 99 he has attempted.

At UFC 245, both fighters avoided using their wrestling skills and relied on striking alone. This time, it would be wise for Covington to test Usman's defense with his wrestling prowess.

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#1. Kamaru Usman outstruck Colby Covington at UFC 245

UFC 245 was undoubtedly a close contest. Although Kamaru Usman emerged the victor via a fifth-round TKO, both fighters were competitive throughout the bout.

Kamaru Usman enjoyed a 48% rate on significant strikes, while Colby Covington threw them at 36%. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' was also ahead when it came to body shots. He landed 53 of the 74 he attempted. Covington, meanwhile, connected with 29 of his 39 strikes to the body attempted.

The first two rounds were close, but Kamaru Usman dominated the third. He landed 58% of his significant strikes compared to Colby's 15%.

'Chaos' caught up to Usman's striking in the fourth, but 'The Nigerian Nightmare' pushed his way to glory in the fifth. He landed 51% of his significant strikes to Colby Covington's 31%.

Usman also supposedly broke Colby's jaw during the fight. However, Covington denied these reports in an interview with ESPN MMA's Brett Okamoto.

Colby Covington claims his performance at UFC 245 was his worst yet. However, he would be foolish to underestimate the striking advantage that Kamaru Usman enjoys going into the rematch.

Usman has improved leaps and bounds in the standup game since his fight with Covington. Having lost to 'The Nigerian Nightmare' twice, Jorge Masvidal, a former teammate of Colby, knows all about Usman's advances in the striking department. 'Gamebred' believes that Usman will emerge victorious in the rematch. In an interview with ESPN, he said:

"His hands are where they need to be at right now. I bet he’s gonna have more confidence than ever because he knows I’m somebody that’s never been finished so he can definitely take that with a pride of honour, put his hard head on, keep getting the work. I think he gets a finish on Colby."

With a title to fight for, Colby Covington should stick to his strengths. He must force Kamaru Usman to defend against his wrestling because, in a standup battle, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' looks to be the clear favorite.