UFC 268 is bringing two championship battles. The main event is the bout between two old foes, Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington, while the co-main is the women’s strawweight title battle between Rose Namajunas and Zhang Weili. Both are rematches of the title bouts from before.
BetXchange is here to deliver a preview for both, and to give you the best possible picks.
Usman vs Covington
This was one of the most intense battles in the UFC when looking at the entire package. The whole of the USA was divided here, and this matchup had a completely different background.
Kamaru won that one after a superb action that saw both fighters giving their 100%, making this event memorable. Usman finished Colby in the fifth, with the judge in the ring stopping the battle despite Covington’s refusal.
We saw both these guys having a high output and going back and forth throughout the entire time. Both had their sequences, with the note that Usman stopped Colby’s surge complaining about an eye poke.
Since this battle, Usman entered the ring three more times, twice against Jorge Masvidal and once against Gilbert Burns. He would go all five rounds against the Gamebred in their first contest, then Kd Burns in the third round, escaping death early on, and eventually delivering a highlight reel KO vs. Masvidal in April this year.
On the other side, Covington wanted to fight with everyone but eventually had only one battle, and that was against Tyron Woodley. He won it in the fifth with Woodley injuring his rib, and we need to add that Covington didn’t amaze anyone. There is a huge doubt in his condition and form because he didn’t enter the octagon for 14 months.
We are siding with the champion now because his performances are more and more convincing as time goes by. Three KOs in the past four matches are enough proof of that.
Pick: Usman 0.32 at BetXchange
Namajunas VS Weili
Rose Namajunas schooled Weili in their first meeting, shutting down not only the rival but also all the doubters who believed that her time had passed. She was already a champion and knows what it’s like to defend the belt. Also, Rose knows what it’s like to lose the title, which is a huge fuel for the 29-year old to give her best.
On the other side, Weili’s self-confidence came back at her like a boomerang, and for the first time, we’ve seen the Chinese in this situation. Even after the fight, she didn’t know what to do, and was confused, which only tells that Namajunas stunned her.
To be honest, that high kick stunned us as well.
Weili will be more careful now and won’t be aggressive as in the first battle. On the other side, Namajunas will wait because she is in the position which allows her to lay back and hunt the rival’s mistake.
All this suggests that betting on a fight going to the distance might be the best choice for us. Both ladies will be more tactical because they already know one another very well, plus, the stakes are very, very high.
Pick: Fight to go to the distance at BetXchange
