March 06, (THEWILL) – Colby Covington’s victory over Jorge Masvidal in the main event of UFC 272 on Saturday night, according to Kamaru Usman, may have earned him a third crack at the UFC welterweight title.
Usman, who defeated Covington in their first two fights, revealed that a third fight is not out of the question saying with a cheeky smile: “Maybe down the line, I smesh.”
In the UFC 272 bout, Masvidal was able to withstand a handful of Covington’s flurry on route to a unanimous decision in favour of the latter in their long-awaited bout, which was scored 50-44, 50-45, 49-46. The 34-year-old Californian put on a strong performance that could retain him atop the welterweight challenger rankings.
Following that, he called out former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier, whom he labelled to as “Louisiana swamp trash”. “I’ll see you soon. You’re next!” Covington called out before announcing plans to fight again in July.
THEWILL recalls that Usman had a hand surgery in February, which will keep him out until at least July. His most recent fight occurred in November, when he defeated Covington for the second time by unanimous decision.
In December 2019, the Nigerian Nightmare knocked out the champion in the fifth round. Due to a lack of competitors, Usman took on Masvidal twice in July 2020 and April 2021 and beat his on both occasions.
However, UFC president Dana White said in January that Leon Edwards would be the next in line for Usman’s belt. “That kid’s had a rough run. He deserves it,” White said. “If you look at it, Colby lost to [Usman] twice, Gilbert [Burns] lost, Leon’s next. He’s number three.”
If Usman-Edwards and Covington-Poirier both take place in July, a third fight between Usman and Covington might take place in late 2022 or early 2023, assuming both fighters win.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
