All Latest ES ThinkTank Newsletter Hub NFL Golf NBA College Basketball NASCAR WNBA Tennis Boxing Olympics UFC Swimming MLB Track and Field Gymnastics Soccer College Football

Kamaru Usman Says Colby Covington Was More Intense and Pushy Than Jorge Masvidal

ByKevin Binoy

Jan 29, 2021 | 12:44 AM EST

Link Copied!

Kamaru Usman vs Jorge Masvidal at UFC 251 was the second most successful pay-per-view event for the UFC in 2020. The short notice fight between the ‘BMF’ Jorge Masvidal and Kamaru Usman was only beaten by Conor McGregor at UFC 246.

Although the PPV did extremely well, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ received a lot of criticism for his showing against Masvidal. Usman grappled extensively and used a lot of foot stomps, which became a meme later on. However, it got the job done, and he was able to retain his title, which is ultimately the most important thing for any champion.

Usman now defends his belt for the third time next month when he takes on former teammate Gilbert Burns at UFC 258.

Article continues below this ad

Read: Ben Askren reveals why he wanted to fight Jake Paul in a boxing match

Article continues below this ad

Kamaru Usman shares his thoughts on his performance at UFC 251

In a recent interview, Brett Okamoto asked ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ what he made of his performance at UFC 251 and why he was upset with the same.

He said, “I was a little unhappy with that. At this point, it is me vs me. I liked the Covington fight, and the reason I loved that fight is because he pushed me to be able to look at myself and say look at all the stuff you have in the toolbox and throw them all you. You gotta use them. I was able to use that and it showed in that fight.”

Usman continued, “I was able to use them and it showed in that fight. But with someone like Masvidal, I did not even have to dig deep in the toolbox… I think that was kinda what made me a little unhappy because me vs me looking back at it I could have gotten him out of there. I could have done a lot better, and that’s why I was a little down about it”.

Article continues below this ad

‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ has a tough challenge on his hands. Not only is he facing someone who is excellent in all areas of a fight, he is facing a former teammate who has spent a lot of time with him. It will be interesting to see how Trevor Wittman and Kamaru Usman cope with the challenge that is Gilbert Burns.