UFC 244: Tyron Woodley Explains Why he Gives Kamaru Usman a “Slight Edge” Over Colby Covington

Tyron Woodley dropped a one-sided, decision loss to Kamaru Usman earlier this year, and lost the welterweight title to the talented wrestler. But, it looks like Woodley doesn’t see Usman dominating Colby Covington, when they fight next month at UFC 244.

Woodley vs. Usman

Woodley faced Usman at UFC 235 in March, and as noted, the latter controlled almost all of the action en route to a decision win. Heading into the bout, most people understood Usman would pose a big threat for Woodley. But not many people, if any, expected the fight to be so one-sided.  Since then, the now former champ has argued the fight’s result was more so reflective of him having a really bad night, than the dominance of Usman.

Woodley’s take on Usman vs. Covington

Well, recently Woodley weighed-in on the Usman vs. Covington during “The Hollywood Beatdown” on TMZ. Here’s some of what the star had to say about the upcoming match-up (quotes via MMA Junkie):

“I think Usman’s scrambling abilities are better than Colby’s as far as once you get to a leg,” Woodley said. “Anytime you get to a single leg versus two legs, it’s always a scramble involved. So when you watch Kamaru Usman – like, my teammate Michael Chandler is his training partner – when you watch those guys scramble, going around, this is high-level scrambling.

“I think Usman has a slight edge that is annoying and frustrating to deal with and if he can’t get space, he may not be able to punch Colby, and that takes his advantage in striking away.”

“I think he really, really has a good motor,” Woodley said about Covington. “I think he’s in good shape. But it’s not like he’s in good shape because he’s landing explosive, powerful combinations. He’s not exerting his body, throwing powerful shots. He actually punched like he’s swinging little Ottoman cushions around. But when you really think about it, he never has to explode.”

We’ll see what happens. It’s a fascinating match-up since both Usman and Covington are ridiculously good wrestlers, and both seem to have cardio for days, especially the latter (as Woodley alluded to). Usman probably has the advantage in power? Although the champ isn’t known for being a power puncher. Woodley was also asked about the power of Usman, and he claimed he didn’t feel much when they fought.

UFC 244 will go down on November 2nd at Madison Square Garden in New York City.