Covington's executioner and Edwards' victim, Usman analyzes the dispute between former rivals at UFC 296

Leon edwards (left) and Colby covington (dir.) face each other in the UFC 296. Photo: SUPER FIGHTS montage

Executioner of Colby covington and victim of Leon edwards in welterweight (up to 77,1kg.) in Ultimate, Kamaru Usman analyzed the dispute between the former rivals in the UFC 296. In an interview with 'DC & RC', linked to 'ESPN', the former category champion evaluated the confrontation that will confirm the title holder. While the North American seeks an unprecedented achievement, the Englishman tries to remain at the top of the division.

“When you share the octagon with a guy like Covington, he knows different things. He knows he can't just impose himself physically with his wrestling with me, like he did with the rest of his opponents. So, he needed to face me in a different way. Against Leon, he understands that he will fight with his standard wrestling and grappling, but at the same time, he can throw jabs and push him away. He (Edwards) may not respect Covington's power. So you have a more intriguing matchup between these guys going at each other,” Usman said.

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When evaluating Colby, his old enemy, Kamaru was curious about how the downtime will affect the American. The former interim champion has not performed for over a year.

“The big key is that Covington has been out for a while. More than one season. For some fighters, inactivity works wonders. It allows you to rejuvenate your body, to recover. For others, the period away causes you to lose action and become rusty. The question is: which Covington will show up? Is it Colby who faced me in the first fight (2019)? Or will it be a new guy we haven't seen in a year and a half? Leon is flying high with confidence. Because I believe, and he believes, that he is the best welterweight in the world right now,” Usman said.

The challenge in UFC 296 This marks Covington's third attempt at winning the welterweight belt. Edwards, in turn, is trying to be successful in his second title defense.