Usman: Covington rivalry brought out the best in me

Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has acknowledged that his rivalry with Colby Covington brought out the best in him.

Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) faced Covington twice in high-stakes title bouts, prevailing in both encounters. He secured a late TKO victory in their first fight in November 2019 and earned a unanimous decision win at UFC 268 after dropping Covington twice in their rematch.

Usman’s appreciation extends beyond Covington’s fighting skills to the intense buildup and trash talk leading up to their fights. On the “Weighing In” podcast, Usman reflected on the significant impact Covington had on his preparation and mindset.

“I say it all the time, and I know people can’t believe the fact that I would actually go, ‘Credit to Colby Covington,’” Usman shared. “You need a great dance partner, and he was that. The tension from that first fight pushed me to prepare and train at my highest level. It was almost addicting to be in that zone where nothing else mattered.”

Currently, on a three-fight losing streak, Usman finds himself engaging in a verbal rivalry with welterweight champion Belal Muhammad, which has reignited his motivation. Despite this, Usman emphasizes that self-motivation remains his greatest driving force.

“That’s a great thing to have a rival,” Usman said. “I’ve learned early on that I’m very self-motivated. It’s a fight against myself. I always want to prove myself wrong, and many of these fights have been about surprising myself and battling within my own mind.”