From Colby Covington to Khamzat Chimaev- Who Can Dethrone Kamaru Usman as the Welterweight King?

Published 02/16/2021, 5:59 AM EST

The UFC welterweight division has since long been regarded as one of the toughest divisions in all combat sports.

Known for featuring some of the most legendary and dominant champions in UFC history, Kamaru Usman is carrying on the tradition of welterweight dominance.

Usman’s victory against Burns was yet another masterpiece in control risk assessment and pacing the tempo the Nigerian nightmare established.

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When we look down the roster at the other active champions, most of them have time working against them or eventually jump-up weight categories.

Kamaru, out of all the UFC champions right now, has the best chance of carving out a long and fruitful streak as a champion, one that could proudly alongside some of the greatest titles run we’ve seen in the eras gone by.

Can UFC contenders of a serious caliber knock Usman off?

It is difficult to point to one as a real counter for the style presented by the champion by looking at the contenders who surround him.

Colby Covington is a fighter with great potential and endurance. He is a fighter who might rock Kamaru. Colby challenged Kamaru in UFC 245, in which the former Colby almost got the title.

But Usman landed nasty jabs and elbows, which shut Colby down by TKO at 4 minutes and 30 seconds of round 5.

Leon Edwards, of course, is another one who could really ask questions of the champ. Edwards does everything very well and is privy to some very interesting advantages. He could exploit his opponents in certain positions on the ground.

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Recently, Khamzat Chimaev called out Usman, aiming for the welterweight title. He showed his size difference and speed advantage as he knocked out Gerald Meerschaert in just 17 seconds in 2020.

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Usman’s pressure and physicality would be the difference maker between all these fighters. He is strong, dominant, and mindful.

The question is, what does it take to knock the reigning welterweight champ from his winning streak?

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Written by:

Joel John is an MMA author at EssentiallySports and is based in Bangalore. His love for UFC started after Khabib Nurmagomedov entered the promotion and took down some legends. He is also a die-hard fan of Lewis Hamilton.

From Colby Covington to Khamzat Chimaev- Who Can Dethrone Kamaru Usman as the Welterweight King?

Can UFC contenders of a serious caliber knock Usman off?

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