Kamaru Usman successfully defended his welterweight title tonight in his grudge match with Colby Covington at UFC 245, but he didn’t finally seal the highly competitive fight in his favor until the final minute of the last round to win by TKO.
Round One:
The main event welterweight title fight is underway in Las Vegas!
Leg kick attempt from Covington and is greeted with punches. Punch for Usman and a head kick attempt, but he slips off of that and falls to the floor.
Back on his feet. Solid punch gets through for Usman. Now a nice punch for Covington. Right hand for Usman as they exchange in the center of the Octagon. Crisp jab from Usman.
Winging punches landing for Covington here, but the harder punch coming in response from the champion.
Body kick from Covington. Now a punch over the top from the challenger. Usman lands a punch. Plenty of action in the early going here.
Another hard exchange and Covington seemed to get the better of that and Usman looked uncomfortable. Covington threatening with a head kick now. Jabs for Usman.
Covington working some leg kicks. Hard left for Covington but then eats a counter. Big body strike hurts Covington.
Uppercut for Usman. Leg kick for Usman. Flying knee attempt from Covington. Front kick to the body from the champion.
Punches for Covington. Crisp jab again from Usman. Low leg kick inside from Covington. Uppercut for the challenger. Intense opening round with both men having their moments there.
Round Two:
Body kick from Usman. jab for the champion. He lands it again and then tries for the right hand. Nice body punch from Covington.
Body punch apiece exchanged. Kick from Covington. jab for Usman. He springs into another jab. Left gets through for Covington.
Front kick to the body for Usman. Jab for Covington. Right hand for Usman. Covington lands and then Usman connects with a right hook counter.
Left hand for Covington. Another nice strike for him. Jab for Usman. Good straight right for Usman. Now a jab. The front kick lands.
Solid right hands for Covington but then gets a good counter in return. He continues pumping out the jab. Usman socks the challenger with the jab.
Right hand to the head from Usman and then goes down to the body with it. A kick from Covington strays to the groin and forces a brief stoppage.
Back to it they go. Right hand for Covington. Covington throwing punches, but not landing on this occasion. He does connect with a body kick though.
Head kick attempt from Usman misses, but Covington returns fire with punches. Body strike for Usman. Now Covington returning fire.
Hard punch to the body from Usman seems to trouble Covington a little. Usman connects again to the body.
Round Three:
Glancing jab for Usman. Front kick to the body for the champion. Clinch for a moment and Usman lands a nice knee to the body.
Usman connects with the jab. Bit of a lull in the action here compared to previous rounds as they circle each other. Usman with a right hand. Now another front kick to the body.
Now a hard right hand for the champion. He lands a body kick as Covington lands the jab. Body punch for him.
Good body kick again for Usman. Again to the body for him. Head kick attempt from Usman comes up short. however, Usman then lands a big punch to the body.
Left and a right hand for Usman. Now a front kick to the body again. Covington’s punches coming up short.
Uppercut to the body for Usman. Marked reduction in Covington’s output this round. Jab scores for Usman.
Another left hand for Usman. Punch to the body. Two big right hands for Usman trouble Covington and then a left.
However, Covington then throws a head kick and that seems to get Usman’s attention. Another head kick attempt from Covington and suddenly Usman is wincing in pain and turning his back – and the ref knows why and stops the fight as it was due to an illegal eye poke so he now has five minutes to recover.
Thankfully after some time to recover Usman is ok to continue.
Usman starts with a punch. Covington trying to pick up the pace here. Usman lands a punch and now it’s Covington who is wincing thinking he’s been poked in the eye, but the round ends anyway without a stoppage.
Round Four:
Inbetween rounds Covington told his corner he thinks he’s broken his jaw, but he’s going to continue.
Big exchange early in the round and Covington lands some big punches there and gets the better of it. Usman is still there and doesn’t look phased however.
Hard body punch for Usman. nice jab for Covington. Jab for Usman. Back to the body punch for Usman. Now the fornt kick to the midsection.
Right hand from Covington seems to hurt Usman. He’s ok though. Big uppercut snaps Usman’s head back. Broken jaw or not, Covington is swinging for the fences, perhaps wanting this fight over sooner rather than later given the injury.
Hard right hand to the chin from Usman. Another nice punch lands. Covington lands to the body. Front kick to the body from Usman.
Right hand for Covington and a body punch in response from Usman. Right hand for Usman again. Now a body kick.
Left-right for Usman. He goes to the body again. Right hand gets through for Covington. Now inside leg kicks too.
Jab for Usman and then goes to the body. Front kick to the body landing yet again for the champion. Inside leg kick for Covington.
Jab for Usman. The ref stops the fight and warns the fighters to keep it clean.
Back to it they go and they bot h exchange kicks. Solid overhand left for Covington in the final seconds of the round.
Round Five
Inbetween rounds Usman’s corner lets him know that Covington’s jaw is broken.
Left hand lands for Covington. left hand for Usman and a head kick behind it. Flurry for Covington and some of those punches got through.
Now a left hand for Covington. A good left hand lands again for the challenger. Now a solid right hand from Usman.
left hand and an uppercut and then another straight for Convington. Body punch lands for Usman. He lands it again.
Glancing jab for Usman. Left hand for Covington again. Now a head kick attempt that’s blocked. Nice body punch for Usman.
Two minutes remaining. Inside leg kick for Covington. Hard right hand lands for Usman and Covington was wobbled a bit by that.
Usman pressing forward and lands again. Covington trying to get time to recover, but then Usman lands a left and Covington is definitely hurt here.
Usman floors Covington with a thunderous right hand and the ref almost rushes in to stop it, but thinks again as Covington is still conscious and trying to get back to his feet.
Covington manages to get up, but soon after Usman blasts him again with another right hand and he’s down for a second time in the final minute of the fight. Covington trying to cling on in desparation on his knees, but Usman starts hitting him with ground and pound blows and that’s it – the ref has seen enough and steps in to hand Usman a huge TKO victory at 4.10mins of the final round.
