Issue 188

February 2020

UFC 245 brought 2019 to a close with a war between the bitter welterweight rivals that makes a rematch a must-see?

In what was arguably the fight of the year, Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington – both noted more for their wrestling game – opted to abandon their strongest suits in favor of an all-out striking war which ultimately paid dividends for the Nigerian but not before he’d taken some ferocious hits. Given the hype which had preceded this bitter bout – a genuine grudge match if ever there was one – it was fitting that it turned into an absolute barn burner, making a rematch almost inevitable. The takeaways are that Usman has a chin of granite and Covington – described post-fight by Dana White as, “a jackass, but a tough guy” – has the heart of a lion, having fought on from round three with a broken jaw. Next up for Covington is Tyron Woodley, but all fight fans will inevitably be saying, Bring on the rematch!