NEW YORK – UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman respects Colby Covington as a competitor, but not as a person. The two top welterweights have been trading barbs for years, but after their epic title fight at UFC 245, Usman (19-1 MMA, 14-0 UFC) says his perception of Covington has changed ahead of their highly anticipated rematch at UFC 268 on Saturday. “It’s changed a lot because I actually grew a little bit of appreciation for the guy,” Usman said at Thursday’s press conference. “I appreciate everything that he does, everything that he comes with. I love it because it’s another challenge for me to get over and at this point in life, at this point in my career, I look forward to those challenges. On Saturday night, I’ll do what I do best and that’s smash another challenge.” Covington (16-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC) pushed Usman to the brink in their first fight, in which one judge had him up 3-1
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