UFC 296 is almost upon us, and the fans have an extremely stacked night ahead of them. Naturally, with the welterweight title headliner being the main attraction, there is a lot of talk about it. As such, former champ Kamaru Usman weighed in on the upcoming Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington fight.
For the most part, UFC 296 is bringing us a banger of a card. Not only are there two amazing title fights on show, but there are a whole host of other big fights as well. However, none have the same implications as the welterweight title fight in the main event. Having fought both Leon and Colby, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare‘ shared his thoughts on the matchup.
Despite their legendary and heated rivalry, Kamaru has Colby’s back in this interview.
Who’s cutting onions y’all😭@USMAN84kg @ColbyCovMMA pic.twitter.com/JNx6MqJlac
— 🧜🏼♀️ (@MMACHICK_) December 13, 2023
Although Daniel Cormier believes that Colby Covington has to be the more cautious fighter, Usman unexpectedly backed his former rival. “Colby Covington is not going to stop trying to get that takedown. That’s where he differs from you and I.” Further, Kamaru adds, “Colby Covington is not going to deviate away from the plan, especially when he knows ‘this guy (Leon) is not a national champion, this guy is not an all-American'”.
Notably, many fans online were almost brought to tears after hearing how passionately Usman defended and credited Covington. For those unaware, the two have had one of the most bitter rivalries in welterweight history, and have shared nearly 50 minutes inside the Octagon. In what was a neck-and-neck rivalry, both fighters pushed each other to the absolute limit.
Kamaru Usman reveals how Colby Covington can win at UFC 296
With that said, Kamaru Usman said great things about both Colby Covington and Leon Edwards. In the past, Usman has said that if he wasn’t the champ, then ‘Chaos‘ probably would be the champ instead. However, with Edwards being the new king on the throne, Colby will have a tall task ahead of him at UFC 296.
Ahead of fight week and for some time before it, fans online haven’t given the former interim champ a chance. Owing to Leon’s consecutive victories against Usman, many see him as perhaps unbeatable in many aspects of the game. However, at the same time, many forget that Colby is a tenured fighter who can take anyone to deep waters during fights.
According to the former champ, Colby may not have that one-punch power, but his relentlessness, gas tank, and “abusive” nature make him a menace. Additionally, Usman added what would be the key to victory for Covington in this fight. “We just don’t know how much that time (away from fighting) is going to affect him. That’s what scares me with Colby Covington. If it’s not that time, I’m going 100% with Colby Covington,” said Kamaru.
As such, Colby Covington is set to make his return after a 21-month layoff. Although many have criticized him for getting the title shot after such a long break, Covington has revealed that he has been ready to fight this whole time. Thus, if he is to be believed, ‘Chaos’ has been prepared to fight for a long time. As Usman emphasized, Colby’s freshness and lack of ring rust will be key to his cardio and the pressure that he has revolved his game around.