Just when you think a rematch between UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington is a lock, there’s a new wrinkle to consider.
After Usman successfully defended his title with a knockout of Jorge Masvidal last Saturday at UFC 261, UFC president Dana White made it clear that he believed a rematch between Usman and No. 1 contender Covington was “the fight to make.” Usman, however, might not be completely sold on the idea. His manager, Dominance MMA’s Ali Abdelaziz, told MMA Junkie that he, too, doesn’t believe Covington has another title shot coming to him.
“Why does he think he deserves it? He’s privileged? Or he’s Mr. America?” Abdelaziz said. “No, he’s not. He’s not privileged. He’s on Kamaru Usman time. He’s gonna do what Kamaru wants. I don’t think he deserves it, but listen, it’s a business. It’s about selling fights. And it’s always awesome doing business with the UFC behind closed doors. If this is the next fight, OK. But Colby has to give a lot of stuff out of his own pocket if he wants this fight. That’s what I think.”
Abdelaziz said Covington (16-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC) “should go fight somebody else” before being granted a title rematch, given that he’s competed just once since a fifth-round knockout loss to Usman (19-1 MMA, 14-0 UFC) in December 2019. After that setback, Covington went on to defeat former champ Tyron Woodley by fifth-round TKO last September. He’s clamored for a rematch every since.
Abdelaziz’s suggestion is curious considering that Usman picked Masvidal for a rematch despite Masvidal not competing in between his two losses to Usman for a period of nine months.
“I’m not taking anything away from Colby. The guy can fight. But he is one of the worst human beings I’ve ever seen in my life,” said Abdelaziz, who had a notorious March 2019 run-in with Covington after UFC 235 in Las Vegas. “And I don’t think people like that should have this kind of opportunity – especially when they sit on one win and don’t fight for a year, and they expect a title shot. You have other guys busting their ass fighting every three, four months.”
If not Covington, Abdelaziz has two potential candidates in mind for Usman, who’s a perfect 14-0 in the UFC and in search of his fifth title defense.
“Why not Michael Chiesa? Michael Chiesa has a four-fight winning streak? Why not Vicente Luque? He has a three-fight winning streak? Why not these guys?” Abdelaziz said. “Why Colby? Because he goes around talking about people’s wives, people’s families, we have to reward him? This is how the sport has become?”
In a subsequent interview with ESPN, Abdelaziz suggested Usman could fight Chiesa on June 12 at UFC 263.
Kamaru Usman’s manager: Colby Covington ‘one of the worst human beings,’ doesn’t deserve rematch