UFC welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman made the fourth consecutive defense of his title at UFC 261 on Saturday night.
Only moments after beating Jorge Masvidal, UFC president, Dana White said that Colby Covington would fight the champion next.
Usman’s win over Masvidal at UFC 261 was a rematch. And now, the Nigerian will face yet another rematch in Covington.
“The fight between him and Colby Covington is one of the greatest fights I’ve ever seen.
“Those two stood in there toe to toe, blasting each until Colby went down with a broken jaw,” White said.
“The clear cut guy right now [for Usman] is Colby. We will see how all these other things play out for the next contender.
“But there is no doubt that Colby Covington is the next guy.”
Covington was at UFC 261, never wasting a moment to put Usman down.
And he also called Masvidal a “journeyman,” discounting him as a worthy challenger.
Although, he lost to Usman in their first fight, Covington discredited Usman’s victory over him too.
“I’m going to take him down into deep waters. I will take him down and I’m going to finish him.
“There are no more fake nut shots next time,” Covington said.
“I have new coaches now, I have a new team behind me. Before, there was so much drama at my old gym.
“People were screaming at me. I couldn’t get my training time in,” he continued.
“What has to go different is I have to put a higher pace on him next time.
“I didn’t put enough pace on him last time and just kept my hands up.
“I know I am going to get my hand raised when I fight him.”
For his part, Usman wasn’t quick to jump at a rematch with Covington or any other fight at the post-fight press conference.
His lone commitment was to spending some quality time with his daughter whom he was away from for several weeks to train for the Masvidal fight.