Colby Covington put on a thoroughly dominant performance over Robbie Lawler (watch the highlights) in the main event of last weekend’s UFC Newark. A bout with champion Kamaru Usman is reportedly next for ‘Chaos.’
Indeed, the two wasted no time in getting the ball rolling after the win. Usman and Covington immediately began talking trash after the fight. It got to the point they were separated by security. So the hype is already brewing for the fight.
Now, the early betting odds have been released.
According to BestFightOdds (via BJPENN.com), Usman opened as a sizable -300 favorite to Covington’s -230 underdog status. For those not familiar with fight betting, that means you would have to wager $300 on Usman in order to win $100. A $100 bet on Covington, meanwhile, would net you a $230 profit.
A Similar Gameplan
Usman and Covington both fight utilizing a pressuring, suffocating, and wrestling-focused gameplan. Usman has won all 10 of his UFC match-ups dating back to his UFC debut on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 21 in 2015. He has only finished one of those fights, however.
Covington will come into his perceived title shot with a seven-fight win streak intact. Two of those fights ended by way of stoppage. His previous fight before defeating Lawler was another pressure-heavy unanimous decision over Rafael dos Anjos. He won the interim title in that fight at 2018’s UFC 225. Covington was expected to face then-champion Tyron Woodley. A confusing series of events led to him fighting Lawler in Newark, however.
The shot should be Covington’s next. It has not been officially confirmed. Hernia surgery sidelined Usman following his dominant win over Woodley earlier this year. He’s expected to return this November. That could potentially see the fight take place at November 2’s UFC 244 pay-per-view from New York City.
Do you agree with the early betting odds for Usman vs. Covington?
