By Daily Sports on November 7, 2021

Kamaru Usman defeated Colby Covington in the main event of UFC 268 at Madison Square Garden to remain the welterweight champion.

The heated rematch went the full five rounds before the judges declared Usman the winner by unanimous decision.

With the win, Usman moved to 15-0 in the UFC, one win shy of Anderson Silva's record for the longest win streak in the organization's history.

Despite the months of trash talk, both fighters showed mutual respect to each other after the fight. The two embraced after the fifth round and shared words.

"When you share an octagon with someone this tough you can't help it." Usman said in his post-fight interview.  "He hit me with some shots. I could tell him and his coaches over there at MMA Masters they been working on it ... I had to show him that respect."

Covington's implemented a new strategy in the second fight, integrating takedowns and a new pace from the last fight. However Usman stuffed every takedown attempt by Covington to keep his 100% takedown defense rating in his career. Both fighters traded punches as the fight went on with Usman stunning Covington with a right hook that dropped him to the canvas in the second round and Covington firing back with some combinations of his own in the the fourth. Usman still was able to reign victorious by remain calm and picking his shots, outlasting Covington's late onslaught.

The stacked card also featured another successful title defense as strawweight champion Rose Namajunas defeated Weili Zhang by split decision in the co-main event. Namajunas, who beat Zhang by first-round TKO in their last title fight back in April, had to dig deep to get the victory over the Chinese fighter in New York City.

Zhang enlisted the help of former UFC bantamweight and flyweight champion Henry Cejudo to help her improve her ground game, Cejudo's influence was prevlanent in Zhang's game plan as she attempted to wrestle Namajunas late in rounds to secure points.

Thug Rose, however took note of this effort, adjusting her game plan and scoring a take down of her own early in the fifth round. Namajunas evaded Zhang's upkicks and came back with ground and pound of her own to secure the victory and her first title defense of the second championship reign of her career.

"I had a feeling it was going to be a way tougher fight and [Zhang] improved a lot." Namajuanas said after the victory. "Gotta give her some props. I know what I have to work on now." (CBS Sports)

•PHOTO: Kamaru Usman’s hand raised after victory over Covington

Source Daily Sports

Posted November 7, 2021

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