Chael Sonnen Believes Usman vs. Covington Rematch Could Come Soon
Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington put on an instant classic in the UFC 245 main event over the weekend (Sat. December 14, 2019).
However, when it was all said and done, the champion, Usman, retained his title with a fifth-round TKO win after breaking Covington’s jaw midway through the fight. The fight was so good, however, that it’s hard to argue with the interest in seeing a rematch down the road. According to mixed martial arts (MMA) veteran Chael Sonnen, that could very well happen.
Speaking on his podcast, “You’re Welcome,” Sonnen first touched on the controversy surrounding the stoppage of the fight, which some believe was a bit premature. (H/T BJPenn.com)
“This thing did end in a little bit of controversy,” Sonnen said. “Colby certainly didn’t agree with the stoppage. I’ve seen a lot of mixed martial arts fights and I’ve seen that position. Colby’s down like on a double where he’s a little sprawled out and Kamaru’s doing a good job with the hips.
“He’s finding the target a little bit but Colby’s blocking it. I’ve just seen that position. That’s a fair statement by me and I have never seen a mixed martial arts contest end in that position. That’s a true statement by me.”
Sonnen went on to explain that he believes the interest is there for a rematch between Usman and Covington, even if it’s not immediately.
“When they pulled them apart, Colby jumped up and he wasn’t happy about it,” Sonnen said. “I don’t know how much time was left. There must’ve been right around that 60-second point and it’s all done. I guess the reason I mention the controversy is, it is very clear that Kamaru Usman is the best fighter in the world. It is as equally clear that Colby Covington is the number one contender.
“I mean this was a dog fight to the highest of levels where things did start to unravel. You had an athlete in Colby who was trying to come back. You had a referee who did a very good job. He was making a decision on fighter safety. But there was enough there that if somebody says, ‘Hey we wanna see five more rounds of that,’ whether it’s immediately next or something has to happen in between, yeah. You’re gonna have a hell of a story that was told.”
What do you think about Sonnen’s thoughts on a rematch between Usman and Covington potentially coming down the road?
