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After heavy negotiations and endless speculation, UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has finally been booked to fight top contender and budding rival Colby Covington at UFC 245 on Dec. 14 from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevad, per a recent report by ESPN.
The long-awaited Usman vs. Covington title fight will serve serve as the main event.
Remember, UFC has been trying to book this matchup for a while now. After it fell through for UFC 244 this coming November the promotion was forced to book Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal as the NYC headliner. And after further negotiations between Usman and Covington seemed to hit another road black, streaking welterweight contender Leon Edwards was thrown into the mix.
Despite all of the issues experienced over the past month or so, the bout is finally booked and we can all breathe a sigh of relief. After all, these are the two best fighters at 170 pounds today.
Usman, 32, captured the undisputed UFC welterweight title this past March when he stomped a hole in former champion Tyron Woodley for 25 full minutes. In total, “Nigerian Nightmare” has produced an unbeaten 10-0 record as a member of the UFC roster and rarely looks outmatched inside of the Octagon. With additional wins over Demian Maia, Rafael dos Anjos, and the aforementioned Leon Edwards, Usman is quickly becoming one of the most dominant fighters in the sport today. A victory over a pressure cooker like Covington would solidify that label even further.
Covington, 31, has quickly and loudly become one of the most hated fighters in all of MMA. While that’s the way that “Chaos” likes it, his heel mentality never takes away from his production inside of the Octagon. Coming off victories over Robbie Lawler, Maia, and dos Anjos, Covington certainly deserves a shot at the belt. It will be his chance to prove all of his doubters wrong, utilize his world-class wrestling against a strong champion in Usman, and lock down a real visit to the White House with a real UFC title.
UFC 245 will also feature a featherweight title fight pitting current champion Max Holloway against Australian contender Alexander Volkanovski, as well as a women’s bantamweight rematch between titleholder Amanda Nunes and top-flight striker Germaine de Randamie.
Stick with Mania for more UFC 245 fight card news.