This past weekend at UFC 268, we saw a rematch for the welterweight title. In the main event, Kamaru Usman (20-1) defended his title against Colby Covington (16-3). It was the second time that these men met inside the octagon with the first coming back at UFC 245 in 2019.
In between the first and second fights, we saw dramatic improvement from Usman after he made the switch to Trevor Wittman’s camp. Usman’s striking got considerably better and his performances showed that. However, many still thought of Covington as his toughest opponent.
We saw both stories play out on Saturday at UFC 268. In the first two rounds, we did see that improvement from Usman. We saw him drop Covington twice in the second round and nearly finish him. That said, we also saw Covington prove how tough he was.
In the later rounds, I actually was favoring Covington with his pressure and he was landing. That said, Usman still got the nod and the right decision in my book was 48-47 Kamaru Usman. The UFC‘s welterweight champion proved that he’s still the best in the world.
Who is next after UFC 268?
Dana White was absolutely right when he said Colby Covington is clearly the second best welterweight in the world. White said that if Kamaru Usman didn’t exist, Colby Covington would be the UFC welterweight champion. Usman has now defeated him twice.
The champion is on his second round through a lot of the top tier opponents which is why White has already labeled him the welterweight GOAT. Now that Usman has defeated Covington for the second time, who is next in the welterweight division.
Well, there are a couple of options for the champion. Leon Edwards (19-3, 1 NC) is fighting Jorge Masvidal (35-15) next month at UFC 269. If Edwards wins that fight, there is no doubt in my mind that he’s next for Kamaru Usman. This fight would also be a rematch.
However, if Masvidal were to win, there’s a different contender who Usman hasn’t fought. That man is Vicente Luque (21-7-1). Luque was actually the backup this past weekend and he’s won four straight by stoppage. If Edwards falls next month, expect Luque to get the next shot.
Khamzat Chimaev (10-0) is a wild card name to watch. As of now, no way he’d get the next shot. However, there’s rumors that he might fight Gilbert Burns next. If he fights Burns and destroys the former title challenger, he could leap all the way to the front of the line.