UFC 268: Kamaru, Namajunas Defend Belts, Gaethje Aims the Lightweight Title

The UFC 268 saw Kamaru Usman defeating Colby Covington and Rose Namajunas outlasting Zhang Weili. Arguably the most anticipated event this year met all the expectations, justifying all the hype surrounding it.

In the main event of the night, Kamaru Usman defended his welterweight belt, beating Colby Covington in their second matchup. The Nigerian Nightmare was better following a unanimous decision, with the judges scoring 48-48, 48-47, and 49-46 in Usman’s favor.

The bout started much slower than the last time, with Colby looking a bit flat, and once Kamaru floored him in the second with two strong left hooks, many believed that this would be a very painful lesson for the challenger.

But then the surprising thing happened. Covington went up and fired back, matching Usman’s intensity and even eclipsing it. If it weren’t for the opening two rounds in which Covington looked really pale, this would be a very close call.

The two would exchange hits, and in several situations, Colby’s uppercut shook Kamaru, as well as a few hard leg kicks into the body. On the other side, the champion used his jab to control the distance and punish the rival whenever possible.

Usman had luck in the finish of the fourth once Colby shook him with a strong combo, but the horn sounded at that moment, and the fighters had to go to their respective corners. Though, it would be unfair not to say that the same horn saved Colby in the second round.

It was very nice to see the two big rivals share a moment of respect immediately following the fight. Even though that didn’t and probably won’t stop all the trash talk, this was a picture everyone wanted to see.

“He’s tough — he’s super tough,” Usman said. “I wanted to get crazy and get him out of there. But that’s not what the best do.”

In the other title fight, Rose Namajunas outlasted Zhang Weili, keeping her strawweight belt, following a split decision win. Two judges scored Namajunas – 49-46 and 48-47, while the third scored 48-47 for Zhang.

Unlike the first bout, which shockingly ended with Namajunas’ highlight-reel win, this one saw a lot of action coming from both sides, with more tactics involved.

Weili was excellent on her feet, constantly pressuring Namajunas and targeting her lead leg. On the other side, Rose managed to neutralize all the attacks coming from the other side and then make a difference with wrestling, where she eventually scored more points than the former champion.

In yet another very interesting battle, Justin Gaethje defeated Michael Chandler to secure his title shot at the lightweight throne. In a match that saw a ton of action, the Highlight won via unanimous decision, 29-29, 29-28, 30-27.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlLpZGBcY68

“He’s a warrior. We are living in the wrong times. He and I should have been fighting in the Colosseum. That’s what should have happened,” Gaethje stated.

Both guys had their moments, and both of them would find themselves in problems but managed to escape death. The intensity in the octagon was insane, and the fans saw attacks in waves. This one was an old-fashioned street fight.

Chandler recently lost to Charles Oliveira in the title match, while Gaethje hopes to meet the winner of the title bout between the Brazilian and Dustin Poirier.