Colby Covington will enter the octagon for the first time since September 2020. The #1 ranked UFC welterweight last fought at UFC Fight Night 178, against former UFC welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley. He won the fight via TKO in the fifth round, after Woodley suffered a rib injury.

Covington’s next fight is a rematch against rival and the current UFC welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman. In their first fight, Usman defeated him via TKO in the fifth round and retained his title. Both fighters are NCAA wrestlers, but the first fight, surprisingly for many, didn’t go to the ground at all. Both fighters made it into a slugfest, in which the Nigerian-born fighter came out on top.

Entering the second fight, Colby looks visibly big than usual. ‘Chaos‘ has always had a lean body, but looks to have worked on his strength and power before the fight at UFC 268.

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Both fighters might try to make this into a wrestling contest, but as seen in the first fight, both can dish out punishment on their feet as well. Covington, having worked on his strength, might try to look for a knockout blow, but it will also come in handy if the fight goes to the ground.

UFC 268- Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington 2

Compared to his last fight against Kamaru Usman, the former UFC welterweight title challenger looks to have worked on his body and strength. Given how the last fight turned into a striking contest, which also was awarded the ‘Fight of the Night’, he looks prepared to go all out once again against ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’.

However, since their last fight in 2019, Usman has defended his title three times. He also seems to have upped his stand-up game, winning his last two fights via knockout. His last win was against the UFC veteran, Jorge ‘Gamebred‘ Masvidal. The number 1 pound-for-pound fighter knocked Masvidal out in the second round. What made the feat even more incredible was the fact that it was ‘Gamebred’s maiden stoppage loss in the UFC.

Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman just don’t like each other. The bad blood between the two goes back to before the first fight. Their last fight was one of the best fights of 2019, and ‘Chaos’ definitely showed up on the night. He proved to be a very tough opponent for ‘The Nigerian Nightmare.’

The buildup to the second fight has differed from the first. Colby has not s**t talked to the champion, which is unlike him. He is keeping a low profile before the fight.

 Unlike the first fight, Usman is showing respect towards his opponent’s abilities. Kamaru, in an interview, said that Covington was a top 15 welterweight of all time. He also said that he didn’t like him personally, but skill-wise, he knows his opponent is a very good fighter.

What do you make of Colby’s jacked-up physique? Will this help him come out on top against Kamaru Usman? Let us know in the comments!

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