UFC welterweight Jorge Masvidal is backing Kamaru Usman at UFC 268, and doesn’t believe Colby Covington can come close to the champion’s power.
After two failed attempts at capturing the 170-pound gold, at UFC 251 and UFC 261, Masvidal will now sit back and watch another contender make their second crack at dethroning the dominant champ.
Having previously failed to do so at UFC 245, Covington will run it back with Usman in the UFC 268 main event this Saturday. In their 2019 clash, the pair fought hard for a competitive four rounds. With most scoring the contest 2-2 heading into the fifth frame, it appeared all to play for. With little time remaining, Usman successfully defended his belt for the first time with a final-round TKO.
Despite only fighting once since, a comfortable victory over a declining Tyron Woodley, the UFC granted “Chaos” a rematch with “The Nigerian Nightmare” over #3-ranked Leon Edwards, who is unbeaten in 10 fights since a defeat to Usman. The pair will headline the promotion’s blockbuster return to Madison Square Garden on November 6.
Masvidal Thinks Usman’s Power Will be Too Much For Covington
While Covington may have given Usman the toughest test of his welterweight reign to date, most are predicting a continuation of the champ’s dominance on Saturday. That includes Covington’s former teammate and fellow contender Jorge Masvidal. During a recent appearance on American Top Team’s Punchin’ In podcast, “Gamebred” revealed that not only does he want Usman to retain, he believes he’ll have no trouble doing so.
Having felt his power first hand at UFC 261, Masvidal believes “The Nigerian Nightmare” will have too much of it for “Chaos” to handle. After suggesting his former friend has always strived to find more strength on the feet, Masvidal claimed Covington can take “all the steroids” he wants, but it still won’t help the former interim champ build power.
“I think who’s gonna win and who I want to win is Usman. I think the power that he showed in his last fights and the little bit of gaps that he’s been making is where Colby’s never felt comfortable and just can’t produce power. He’s tried his whole life to do it, you know. He can take all the steroids he wants and he’s still not gonna have power.”
Whilst it’s not clear whether “Gamebred” is suggesting Covington has used PEDs or simply providing a hypothetical scenario, it certainly would be an ironic turn of events given Covington’s “CEO of EPO” nickname for his upcoming opponent.
Do you agree with Jorge Masvidal? Will Kamaru Usman leave Madison Square Garden with the welterweight gold?
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