Kamaru Usman says Colby Covington earned his respect after another five-round battle in the UFC 268 main event. Although Usman (20-1 MMA, 15-0 UFC) still believes Covington (16-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) is “rotten” as a person, he said as an athlete he can’t deny his ability. The pair went tooth-and-nail again on Saturday, with Usman retaining his welterweight title by unanimous decision in the pay-per-view headliner at Madison Square Garden. Usman said Covington is the second-best fighter at 170 pounds, and he thinks it’s important to have a rival to push him to his limits. “As a competitor I respect him – that’s the next best guy in the division,” Usman told MMA Junkie and other reporters at the UFC 268 post-fight news conference.
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