Kamaru Usman: Colby Covington will serve as gatekeeper for UFC contenders who are looking out to fight me
Kamaru Usman made his hate for Colby Covington identified from the leap.
That talked about, having beaten his foe twice, Usman (20-1 MMA, 15-0 UFC) will derive Covington (17-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) precious in vetting contenders who blueprint within an arm’s reach of his UFC welterweight title.
“There are loads of guys in that high of the division,” Usman talked about in a fresh interview with The Underground. “You’ve bought Belal Muhammad is there. You’ve bought (Khamzat) Chimaev is there. You’ve bought Covington is aloof there, retaining that door true. At this point, Covington is standing ethical in entrance of that door. For it to essentially create sense, for somebody to essentially derive thru, they wish to battle thru him due to he’s proven he can beat everybody else but he can’t ultimate beat me.
“For you to present that you just need to perchance fight for the title, I believe it is a long way mandatory to battle thru that man. At the pause of the day, I’m going to preserve working thru these guys except I’m bored. Whoever is subsequent is subsequent.”
Usman has his sights position on Leon Edwards subsequent. The UFC is angling for the bout to occur in August, though injured tendons in Usman’s hands may perhaps furthermore delay the direction of. Beyond Edwards, it will be the surging Chimaev. It’ll be Belal Muhammad, who is furthermore on a roll. Usman may perhaps no longer be focused on someone specific, but he’s no longer ruling someone out either.
“Things occur very, very immediate,” Usman talked about. “I fought (Gilbert) Burns in February, pause of February, technically practically March. When did I fight him? I don’t know. I fought him in February and I fought Masvidal in April. Things occur very, in a immediate time. If I’m wholesome and I derive in there and I’m in a position to switch in and battle thru a man, Leon Edwards is a tricky, tricky man. I know that. The area knows that. If I’m in a position to, God keen, derive thru him very, in a immediate time, I’d buy, ‘You realize what? Give me somebody subsequent week.’ You never know. It’s quite shut.”
Usman, 35, has no longer competed since a November victory over Covington. The victory used to be his fifth winning title protection in as many attempts. He furthermore holds championship victories over Jorge Masvidal and Gilbert Burns.
