Video: Covington Reacts To Usman Getting KO’d

All of a sudden, the welterweight division just got a whole lot more interesting, especially for failed contender Colby Covington.

Colby Covington hasn’t had a whole lot to say in public since getting bushwhacked by Jorge Masvidal on the streets of Miami Beach back in March. But the welterweight contender hasn’t been sitting at home doing nothing over the past five months.

Recently, news emerged that Covington placed 7th in a high stakes poker tournament, taking home nearly $50,000 for his troubles. He also partied with Lil’ Wayne last week in his first non-sponsorship Instagram sighting in months. His most recent Instagram post was a betting plug where he suggested you “make your bank account great again” by putting money on “CEO of EPO” Kamaru Usman at UFC 278.

So Colby was just as surprised as we were when Usman lost his fight to Leon Edwards via head kick knockout with just one minute left in the fight (watch the KO here). Footage from a UFC 278 viewing party with Covington in attendance surfaced, and even with all low-pixel distortion you can still see “Chaos” mouthing “WOW!”

Covington lost his two title fights against Kamaru Usman in 2019 and 2021, leaving him in limbo until “The Nigerian Nightmare” lost. That didn’t look like it was happening any time soon, but that’s usually when the MMA Gods strike, innit? All of a sudden, it must feel like anything is possible.

“If Usman doesn’t exist, Colby Covington is the champion here,” White said after the second fight between Usman and Covington. “He’s the second best guy in the division. He’s the second best guy in the world, no doubt about it. The guy is so durable and tough. His fighting style is tough to beat, and his cardio is insane. So I don’t think anybody else beats that guy but Usman.”

Unfortunately for Colby, the door may close on this moment before he has a chance to step into the cage and test White’s hypothesis. The UFC is already looking to set up a third Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards fight. Even if Usman ends up medically suspended for half a year after that hellacious knockout, there’s other, hotter fighters in the wings that haven’t had their shot yet like Khamzat Chimaev.

Even Jorge Masvidal — a guy Covington just beat (in the cage) — could potentially leapfrog Colby because “Gamebred” bushwhacked Leon Edwards too, back in 2019. What a wild sport this is. For now, though, Colby Covington gets to enjoy living his life in a world where Kamaru Usman is no longer the UFC welterweight champion.