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Kamaru Usman has made it clear that he doesn't factor in his personal feelings when assessing his opponents.
The reigning UFC welterweight champion recently labeled his rival Colby Covington as one of the best 170-pounders in MMA history. In an interview with Helen Yee Sports, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' said he's not one to discredit his fellow fighters, even those he dislikes.
"He's definitely up there," Usman said of Covington. "I'm no hater. I give props where props are due. I think probably Colby is... I would put him in the top 15 welterweights of all time. As far as fighter-wise, skill-wise, and the way the way that he fights – you might not like him personally which I really don't – but as far as skill-wise I know he's a good fighter; very, very good fighter."
Usman also confirmed Chael Sonnen's theory that the first fight between himself and Covington turned into a striking contest as they respected each other's wrestling.
The UFC's top pound-for-pound fighter will defend his welterweight crown against Covington in a highly-anticipated rematch at UFC 268. The rivals met each other for the first time at UFC 245 in 2019.
Check out Kamaru Usman's interview with Helen Yee Sports below:
Kamaru Usman sends a warning to Colby Covington
Kamaru Usman revealed that he enjoyed engaging in a brutal firefight with Colby Covington during their initial encounter. However, the champion believes he cannot do the same in the futur and expect similar results.
"The first fight... I actually had fun in that fight," Usman said. "That was a fight where I was having fun so much and I actually forgot that I was in a fight. And my coaches had to remind me, 'Let's get mentally focused here and go get this guy out of there,' and I did. But I want a fun fight and I know I can't fight like that every fight because that's not good for my career. But we'll see what he brings. If he brings his A-game then it will be a fun fight. If he doesn't, it'll probably be a short night for him."
