VIDEO | Colby Covington, Kamaru Usman Share Moment Following UFC 268: ‘It’s All Love, I’m Trying To Sell It’

Colby CovingtonFootage has emerged as part of the UFC’s Trill & Agony series following the fallout from UFC 268 — which appears to show welterweight rivals, division kingpin, Kamaru Usman, and fallen challenger, Colby Covington share a rather wholesome moment — where Covington appears to claim he is only firing barbs at Usman in order to sell the […]

Colby Covington

Footage has emerged as part of the UFC’s Trill & Agony series following the fallout from UFC 268 — which appears to show welterweight rivals, division kingpin, Kamaru Usman, and fallen challenger, Colby Covington share a rather wholesome moment — where Covington appears to claim he is only firing barbs at Usman in order to sell the fight. 

Usman, who headlined UFC 268 at the beginning of November at Madison Square Garden against two-time foe, former interim welterweight champion, Covington — lodged his second career win against the outspoken challenger in the form of a unanimous decision victory.

Dropping Covington twice toward the end of the second round with two heavy knockdowns, Usman initially started brightly against the challenger, who appeared to grow into the fight and arguably stole the third and fourth rounds. However, prior water in the basement, as well as a fifth and final round, closeout from Usman was enough to see him score his second career win over Covington, and in turn, his fifth consecutive defense of his welterweight crown.

Immediately after the final buzzer, however, Usman and Covington — sworn rivals, shared an embrace in the center of the Octagon, with the microphone briefly picking up some words shared between the two before referee, Dan Miragliotta intervened and corralled the two to their corners.

Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington embrace post-UFC 268, and share some wholesome words

In new footage released this week, we can catch an audibly warm reception between the two, with Covington detailing how he had maybe only spoken in such an inflammatory manner to and about Usman in order to help sell the fight.

Covington: You know I’m just trying to sell it for you.

Usman: What?

Covington: You know I’m just trying to sell it for you.

Usman: I know. I know. I know.

Covington: It’s all love.

Despite the warm embrace shared between the two, just moments later, during his post-fight press conference, Covington reverted to a familiar character, claiming that he had no respect for Usman, as well as calling him a “cheater” following an early fight eye poke. 

I can’t respect a guy like that, I mean, go look on YouTube,” Covington told assembled media. “The guy dissected everything that he cheats on and everything. You see that injection marks all over his stomach? The guy’s not a clean fighter. I’m a clean fighter. I’m raw American steel and twisted sex appeal.

He’s a cheating coward, you know I have no respect for that guy. … he’s cheated in multiple fights, I mean he was holding my glove tonight against the cage. In the first round, I shot a takedown and he went bam, bam, twice to the back of the head.

Colby Covington Explains Why Second Round Against Kamaru Usman Wasn’t 10-8

Colby CovingtonColby Covington doesn’t believe there were any 10-8 rounds in his rematch with Kamaru Usman. Covington suffered a unanimous decision defeat to Usman in their welterweight title sequel at UFC 268 earlier this month. Covington was notably dropped twice in the second round with many expecting the finish to come soon. However, “Chaos” survived and […]

Colby Covington

Colby Covington doesn’t believe there were any 10-8 rounds in his rematch with Kamaru Usman.

Covington suffered a unanimous decision defeat to Usman in their welterweight title sequel at UFC 268 earlier this month. Covington was notably dropped twice in the second round with many expecting the finish to come soon.

However, “Chaos” survived and ended the fight strong. In the end, however, it wasn’t enough as Usman still won all three judges’ scorecards.

Colby Covington: Only The Haters Calling It 10-8

Although the three judges didn’t score the second round as a 10-8, many fans, fighters and media alike deemed it a 10-8 on social media.

To that, Covington responded:

“I feel like I was kind of pressing in that round, and that round was mine up until that point,” Covington told James Lynch. “If you look at the tape, you can clearly see that I wobbled him with the jab, he kind of stumbled twice, but he gets his bearings and he throws a 3-2, right hand-left hook and the left hook just kind of caught me on the right spot, the temple. For just a quarter-second it put me down, but I wasn’t hurt. It wasn’t like I was wobbled and he had me completely concussed with a big shot. It just caught me unexpectedly.

“I was rushing in and my defense was down and he just caught a good shot. That’s not a 10-8 round, though. No way that’s a 10-8. 10-8 is when they’re doing damage and freaking almost finishing the guy. I wasn’t even close to getting finished. Those are the haters, man. The clickbait merchants is what I call them. There are just three judges in there. Millions of people watching the fight worldwide can decide for themselves.”

You can watch the snippet below:

Whether it’s a 10-8 or not is irrelevant in the end as Covington would have lost regardless seeing as the judges never scored it a 10-8 in the first place.

Did you think it was a 10-8 round for Kamaru Usman against Colby Covington?

Usman Reveals Injury Suffered 3 Weeks Out From Covington Rematch

In a lot of ways, the rematch between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington was closer than their first fight, but there may be a reason for that.

The first fight between Usman and Covington was an all-out war, with both men having big moments and the j…

Kamaru Usman Colby Covington

In a lot of ways, the rematch between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington was closer than their first fight, but there may be a reason for that.

The first fight between Usman and Covington was an all-out war, with both men having big moments and the judges having it even on the scorecards ahead of a fifth-round TKO for the champ. The long-awaited rematch was more of the same, except this time it went all five rounds, leading to a unanimous decision win, once again for the champ after another close fight.

However, there is a potential reason for the second fight being as close as it was, aside from the improvements that Covington obviously made. Speaking on the Nelk Boys’ Full Send podcast, Usman revealed that he had suffered a broken hand courtesy of lightweight contender Justin Gaethje’s head. He says the injury occurred about three weeks out from the fight, and he did not even use it from that point until the day of the fight.

“I broke it before the fight. Most people didn’t know that,” Usman said (h/t BJPenn.com). “I broke it three weeks before and I didn’t throw it until the day of the fight, I didn’t throw it until I was backstage when you are warming up before the fight. I didn’t throw my hands for three weeks, my right hand…

“I broke it on someone’s head, Justin Gaethje’s head.”

If this is true, it is insane to think that Kamaru Usman was able to fight like that while dealing with an injury in his power hand. That said, it did not ultimately matter that his right hand was compromised, as he was able to use his left hand to drop Colby Covington on two occasions at the end of the second round.

With that kind of injury, it is hard not to wonder if the fight would have been as closely contested if Usman was able to use both of his hands to full effect. There is good reason to believe that may not have been the case, but even if it was, the fight was still a treat for fans and arguably better than their first encounter.

Check out the full podcast with Kamaru Usman below:

Continue Reading Usman Reveals Injury Suffered 3 Weeks Out From Covington Rematch at MMA News.

Michael Chandler Thinks Justin Gaethje Will Be UFC Champ In 2022

UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler gave high praise to his UFC 268 opponent, Justin Gaethje, following their three-round battle.

Despite giving Gaethje some issues in the opening minutes of the fight, Gaethje was able to deal the most damag…

Michael Chandler

UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler gave high praise to his UFC 268 opponent, Justin Gaethje, following their three-round battle.

Despite giving Gaethje some issues in the opening minutes of the fight, Gaethje was able to deal the most damage in the later rounds and earn a unanimous decision win. Chandler and Gaethje each earned a ‘Fight of the Night’ performance bonus for their efforts in arguably one of the greatest three-round fights in recent memory.

Chandler has taken the loss in stride, even joking with his family about the significant damage he suffered to his face in the Octagon. During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Chandler gave quite the prediction for what could be next for Gaethje.

“I loved what Justin Gaethje said after the fight,” Chandler said. “He’s like ‘We were born in the wrong time. We should’ve been two gladiators fighting to the death.’ The said thing is, it’s absolutely true, and that’s what I said to him after the fight. I said ‘I knew you didn’t dislike me. I knew that you knew this about me, I knew that you knew that I was your equal.’ We had a blast man, hats off to him. I think Justin Gaethje is going to be our lightweight champion by the middle of next year.”

Michael Chandler Vs. Justin Gaethje Could Happen Again

Gaethje is more than likely next in line for the lightweight title shot and could face the winner of Charles Oliveira vs. Dustin Poirier. Oliveira will make his first title defense against Poirier in the main event of UFC 269. Chandler is hoping to return sometime at the start of 2022 and has recently expressed interest in a Conor McGregor fight.

If Chandler’s prediction comes to fruition and Gaethje earns the lightweight title next year, we could see a Chandler vs. Gaethje five-round rematch for the title. After their epic battle at UFC 268, many fans wouldn’t mind seeing these two fight again with more on the line.

Do you think Michael Chandler and Justin Gaethje will fight again at some point?

Continue Reading Michael Chandler Thinks Justin Gaethje Will Be UFC Champ In 2022 at MMA News.

Michael Chandler Apologized To Wife For Brutal Justin Gaethje Fight

UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler apologized to his wife for the damage he took against Justin Gaethje at UFC 268.

Chandler and Gaethje put on one of the greatest three-round fights in recent memory, going back and forth on the feet from s…

Michael Chandler

UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler apologized to his wife for the damage he took against Justin Gaethje at UFC 268.

Chandler and Gaethje put on one of the greatest three-round fights in recent memory, going back and forth on the feet from start to finish. Both men had their moments, but ultimately Gaethje would leave the cage victorious via a unanimous decision.

While Chandler was happy to be part of history with Gaethje, he wasn’t happy that he abandoned his game plan and opted to take a more aggressive approach to the bout.

“I had to apologize to my wife. I told her what the game plan was,” Chandler told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “The game plan was; ‘cause I think I beat Justin Gaethje in a wrestling match 9 times out of 10. And that’s not any disrespect to him. I just think my wrestling is better than his. I could’ve used my wrestling more. I could’ve made it a little bit more of a close-quarters type of fight, instead of going out there throwing big shots.”

“But once the fight started, I reverted to who I am as a person,” Chandler continued. “I reverted to what courses through my DNA, which is just fighting, man. And I loved it.”

Chandler was coming off of his loss to Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title at UFC 262. Despite a strong first round, he was TKO’d by Oliveira later on in the fight.

Gaethje has always been known as a forward-pushing fighter, dating back to his multiple reigns in Bellator as the promotion’s lightweight champion. In his UFC debut against Dan Hooker, he controlled the center of the Octagon and eventually landed a big right hand to knock him out.

Michael Chandler Has Hinted At A Conor McGregor Fight Next

Chandler has hinted on social media that he’s interested in a Conor McGregor fight in 2022. McGregor is currently recovering from the nasty leg injury he suffered at UFC 264 against Dustin Poirier and is targeting a return to competition sometime next year.

While McGregor has engaged in multiple Twitter banters in recent weeks and months, he and Chandler appear to have mutual respect for one another. The timing could work out well for a Chandler vs. McGregor fight in early 2022, but it could set up another instance where Chandler may have to apologize for the wild exchanges that may occur.

What do you think is next for Michael Chandler in the UFC?

Continue Reading Michael Chandler Apologized To Wife For Brutal Justin Gaethje Fight at MMA News.

UFC Partners With NYPD To Help Its Cops & Kids Program

Before UFC 268 took place in New York, Dana White and the UFC partnered with the NYPD in an effort to renovate gyms and help local youth.

One walk-through in an NYPD Cops & Kids gym in Brooklyn is all it took. Dana White had an appreciation fo…

Dana White & The NYPD

Before UFC 268 took place in New York, Dana White and the UFC partnered with the NYPD in an effort to renovate gyms and help local youth.

One walk-through in an NYPD Cops & Kids gym in Brooklyn is all it took. Dana White had an appreciation for the renovations provided by the NYPD to help improve the program. In two New York boroughs fraught with criminal activity, the Cops & Kids gyms were a welcome addition to the neighborhood.

The UFC boss admitted that he was once a part of a police program. With the intention of removing kids from the street, the local gyms are in place to offer impressionable youth a home away from home.

“I’m very pro-police, pro-military, and who isn’t pro-kids and getting kids off the street,” Dana White said. “Plus, I came out of a PAL program, too, and it changed my life. What you get out of something like this is immeasurable. Lessons learned here, how hard you push yourself in a place like this, the types of people you meet, the different paths that people take, you name it.”

The Cops & Kids program was created in 1985 by retired NYPD officer Pat Russo. While Russo admits the gyms weren’t very popular in their inception, they were an outlet for troubled youth nonetheless. The NYPD’s collective goal is to have the gyms reach all five boroughs of New York.

Chief Jeffrey Maddrey, of the NYPD’s Community Affairs Bureau, is a proponent of the NYPD-sponsored gyms. The program is designed to assist in athletics but also put in place to help with mentorships and academia.

“We have young people who come from all over the city, who take two or three trains, two or three buses, to come to this program because it’s a safe place for them to be,” Maddrey said. “There’s cops and adults from the community – community leaders, elected officials, clergy – that care about them, and it’s free for them to come here, do schoolwork, get homework help, have a mentor, to do physical fitness training. So it’s important that we have places for our young people to go that doesn’t cost them anything. It’s important for their parents, too. It helps the parents when they need a safe place to send them so the parents can work and do the things that are needed around the home.” 

In what has become an integral part of the community, Russo’s creation of the Cops & Kids gym serves the neighborhood and inspires hope for young adults from all walks of life.

Continue Reading UFC Partners With NYPD To Help Its Cops & Kids Program at MMA News.