UFC Welterweight Champion, Kamaru Usman has admitted that he had to fight with his head, rather than his heart, to ensure he did enough to beat his opponent, Colby Covington in their rematch at UFC 268 in New York.
Usman retained his title via unanimous decision, having dropped his challenger twice in quick succession at the end of the second round with a big left hook and a huge right hand.
Covington, 33, rallied in rounds three and four and the pair traded heavy shots in the fifth without either able to land a fight-ending blow.
Speaking in the wake of his victory over Covington, Usman who described his opponent as tough, said:
“I’m gonna tell you what, he’s tough. He’s super tough. I wanted to get crazy and get him out of there, but that’s not what’s best to do.
“We take our time, we stay calculated, we listen to our coaches and we find the finish.
“Unfortunately, that’s the next best guy in the division. He’s a tough son of a gun, and he wasn’t going to let me find that finish.
“Guys, I just gotta give it up. I know there was a lot of trash talk, there’s a lot of bad blood here, and I’m sure there’s still going to be some after tonight.
“When you share an octagon with someone this tough, you can’t help (but respect them). That respect is going to come,” he said.
The judges had scored the fight 48-47 48-47 49-46 to crown Usman the winner.
Usman’s victory improves his record to 20-1 and extends his winning streak to 19 fights as he cemented his place at the top of the UFC’s pound-for-pound list.
