Kamaru Usman defeated Colby Covington by unanimous decision to retain the UFC welterweight championship at UFC 268 in New York on Saturday night.
With the win, Usman improved to 20-1-0, and has won 19 fights in a row, including five title defenses.
“I am the pound-for-pound best alive right now,” he said.
Covington, the former interim welterweight champion, dropped to 16-3-0.
Going into the fight, Covington said he had recalibrated his approach and would not fight the same way as he did in their first encounter. And the beginning of the opening round revealed a more cautious fighter, though as the round progressed, Usman’s pressure appeared to force Covington into a defensive posture.