Post-Mortem: UFC 245
The ordering process for Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-views has changed: UFC 245 is only available on ESPN+ in the U.S.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday returned to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with perhaps the most talent-rich card of 2019. UFC 245 was topped with three title fights, including a grudge match between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington to decide the fate of the welterweight crown. “The Nigerian Nightmare” managed to outperform Covington in deeper waters and pulled out a fifth-round technical knockout in a back-and-forth affair that warrants “Fight of the Year” discussion.
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The two welterweights bickered over social media and had to be separated several times backstage, at media obligations and even at a casino ahead of the fight. The bad blood boiled for months before they finally met in the cage.
“There was a lot of pressure,” Usman said. “Nobody wants to lose to
that guy. It was a lot of pressure, but this is what champions do.
You are going to have to withstand all that pressure. You [have]
got to rise to the occasion. You [have] got to show everyone why
you are the champion, and I did that tonight.”
Theirs was an epic battle in which both men enjoyed sustained periods of success, and entering the final round, the judges were split on who was in control. One scorecard had Usman ahead, one scorecard had Covington ahead and one scorecard had it even. Usman, a former NCAA Division II national champion wrestler, quieted many of the prognosticators who believed Covington would have the advantage late in the fight and did so with a fifth-round burst of violence.
“He said a lot of things,” Usman said. “I wanted to make him pay. I said all week that I was going to punish him for four and a half rounds, and then I was going to get him out of there. That is exactly what I did.”
Though it was an instant classic, the fight was not without controversy. Many observers felt Covington was defending himself well enough from the champion’s attack when referee Marc Goddard called for the stoppage. Some also argued that Usman’s ground strikes were illegal, as he appeared to land several hammerfists to the back of the challenger’s head. Covington exited the Octagon immediately after the fight without sharing his thoughts. However, he later took to social media to complain about the finish.
“Normally people do their [expletive] in the bedroom, not the Octagon @marcgoddard_uk,” Covington posted on Twitter. “I go in there to kill or be killed. You robbed me of that. You robbed the people of a fair fight. You should be ashamed of yourself. Fake nut shot. Fake eye poke. Fake stoppage. Fake ref.”
In November, Jorge Masvidal battered Nate Diaz to a doctor stoppage across three rounds in the UFC 244 main event to capture the symbolic BMF title. The fight garnered widespread attention, and even President Trump was in attendance. The added visibility has helped Masvidal become a household name and led many to view him as the No. 1 contender for Usman’s championship.
“The Masvidal versus Usman fight now is a big deal,” White said. “He fought Diaz for the BMF [title], and to now fight for the actual title against a guy that is tough as nails is fun.”
Despite White’s assertions, Usman pointed out that there were other viable contenders.
“There are a lot of tough guys in the division,” Usman said. “Let’s be honest, if you are talking about someone that deserves it, Leon Edwards hasn’t lost since he fought me. He has been finishing guys. He has found himself in a position that I found myself in a little over a year ago. Everyone knew I was one of the toughest guys out there, and they didn’t want to gamble and take that risk on me. Right now, I am sitting above looking at all these guys. They are kinda all in that pool, very tightly contested. They just need to break out. I am waiting for whoever Dana and the UFC thinks the next guy is for me, and I will be happy. I never turn down a fight, especially now that I am the champion.”
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