UFC Covington vs Masvidal: Kamaru Usman Gives a Prediction

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UFC 272 Covington vs Masvidal: Kamaru Usman Gives Prediction on Contest

By Jake Skudder

Published Mar 1, 2022

UFC 272 will see friends turned bitter rivals Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal square up, and Kamaru Usman has discussed how he sees the fight going.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 13: In this handout image provided by UFC, Kamaru Usman of Nigeria reacts after his victory over Gilbert Burns of Brazil in their UFC welterweight championship fight during the UFC 258 event at UFC APEX on February 13, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

UFC 272 will see friends turned bitter rivals Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal square up in the main event, and UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman has discussed how he sees the fight going.

The two men set to headline the card on Saturday 5th March 2022 both lost their previous fights to the ‘Nigerian Nightmare,’ so Usman has a very good understanding of what both men are bringing to the table.

If Covington or Masvidal are able to make a huge statement during the fight, then they might just be next in line for a shot at the 170 pound UFC Champion.

Speaking to ESPN, Usman revealed exactly what he expects to see when both men make their way to the octagon on Saturday 5th March 2022.

He said: “In this fight, Colby’s going to realise that it’s harder to take Masvidal down in an actual fight than when they were in practice.

“I know in his mind, he’s going to expect it to be like it was when they practised. But they spent some time apart, and I think he’s going to realise it’s a lot harder to take him down in a fight than it is from practice.

“Masvidal, on the flip side, I think he’s going to realise that it’s a lot harder to strike with this guy now than back when I was beating him up when he first came into the sport.’

“I think he could potentially win the fight because one thing about Masvidal is he’s one of the only guys who in his stance, he’s so tall in his stance – but he’s able to defend takedowns from some of the best wrestlers.

“He’s very, very good at striking – so relaxed – and is so fast and he’s able to touch you. He might not feel as hard, but he can touch that button to be able to shut the lights off.

“I mean, being able to run across the octagon in five seconds, land a knee like that (against Ben Askren) just shows a different level of athleticism. He’s an athlete.

“He’s a skilled striker, and he definitely has the tools to be able to land that shot to steal this fight away from Covington. So I’m excited. I can’t wait. I will be there. I haven’t been to a fight in a long time.”

*credit to MMAJunkie for the transaction

There will certainly be fireworks inside and outside of the Octagon when Masvidal and Covington go head-to-head this weekend!

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