K. Usman sports a belt. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @ufc_brasil
The welterweight champion (up to 77kg.), Kamaru Usman, revealed his joy at being able to face the former holder of the division's interim belt, Colby covington. According to the Nigerian, in the fight, he will represent a legion of fans dissatisfied with the way the North American promotes his fights. The statements were made in a recent interview with 'TMZ Sports'.
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“I have been deleting messages on Instagram for the last two days. I deleted thousands of messages with people saying, 'Man, you have to kill this man, not beat him, but kill him. Kill him for us.' I want him defeated worse than Askren was”, declared Kamaru.
The champion reported how much the challenger's controversial statements affect him as a public athlete. According to Usman, the negative repercussions of Colby's statements could cause greater problems.
“When you find a guy like Covington, who is bringing elements of WWE (wrestling), it attracts people in the wrong way. People don't like that because they know the foundation on which mixed martial arts was built. That’s the big point as to why people hate him (Colby) so much,” declared the Nigerian.
The possibility of facing a person he openly dislikes, however, excites Usman. According to the champion, the possibility of beating a fighter hated by a portion of MMA enthusiasts is a motivating factor to step into the octagon and face him.
“People wish bad things for him, including me. I’m blessed to be the person who goes out there and defeats him,” said Kamaru.
Covington recently had confirmation that he would be the Nigerian's next opponent. The UFC board was divided between promoting a title fight between Usman against Colby or Masvidal. The doubt about Jorge being a possible challenger arose after his great performance against Ben Askren, in the UFC 239, when he beat his opponent in just five seconds, resulting in the fastest knockout in the company's history and increasing the American's popularity.
The UFC, however, opted for Covington, currently number two in the division's rankings, behind only Tyron woodley. The decision for Colby, however, was confirmed after his great performance at UFC Newark, held last weekend, when the fighter dominated the former division champion, Robbie Lawler, for five rounds, giving the opponent no chance to apply his strategy.
The fight between Usman and Colby does not yet have a confirmed date or location. There is speculation that the confrontation could take place in UFC 244, on November 2nd, in Las Vegas.
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