The fight between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington turned out to be a classic, but it didn’t play out the way most expected it to. UFC welterweight champion Usman (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC) faced former UFC 170-pound interim champ Covington (15-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) in the main event of this past December’s UFC 245, where both men stood toe-to-toe in the middle of the octagon and traded for 24 minutes. Considering both men’s decorated collegiate wrestling backgrounds, it came as a surprise that two fighters that have leaned heavily on their grappling in the past, didn’t even attempt to take the fight to the ground. Covington, who was up 3-1 on one judge’s scorecard, said he abandoned his wrestling because he felt that he was having his way with Usman on the feet before being stopped in the final minute of the fifth round in a controversial finish. Related Colby Covington far from finished with Kamaru Usman: 'There's a sequel and trilogy coming' Marc Goddard stands by Colby Covington stoppage in Kamaru Usman fight at UFC 245: 'I handled it on the money' “No, I was not surprised one bit that he didn’t want to wrestle because he knows that if he wrestles a D1 all-star like me, he’s going to get exposed and he’s going to get tired, and he’s going to gas,” Covington told MMA Junkie
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