Kamaru Usman compares Islam Makhachev to Colby Covington in UFC 322 post-fight reaction

Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman reacted to Islam Makhachev’s callout by comparing him to his fierce rival.

Islam Makhachev achieved his lifelong goal to win multiple UFC world titles with a dominant performance last weekend at UFC 322. He smothered reigning UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena to win a unanimous decision and became the latest two-division champ in UFC history.

Makhachev sits atop the stacked welterweight division with his performance and has no shortage of potential contenders ready to challenge the new champion. One of which is former titleholder Kamaru Usman, who was Makhachev’s callout target immediately after UFC 322.

Makhachev and Usman have a respectful, yet competitive, relationship ahead of their likely title fight. But that hasn’t stopped Usman from mirroring Makhachev with his all-time biggest rival.

Kamaru Usman compares Islam Makhachev matchup to Colby Covington saga

During a recent episode of the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Usman made a striking comparison between Makhachev and his two-time rival Colby Covington.

“I almost feel like if there are guys like myself and Islam in the division, you almost feel like if Prates was the champion, what happened to JDM is bound to happen (to Prates). Someone could do that to them,” Usman said of Makhachev.

“When I look at a guy like Islam, I don’t really see holes (in his game) and that’s something that scares me and that’s when you see some of the most spectacular performances.

“The last time I felt that was against Colby Covington.” (h/t Bloody Elbow)

Usman defeated Covington twice in their legendary UFC careers, with a fifth-round TKO at UFC 245 and a unanimous decision victory at UFC 268. Covington hasn’t fought since a loss to Joaquin Buckley earlier this year.

After defeating Buckley, Usman seems to be the frontrunner for the next welterweight title shot after UFC 322. In the meantime, Makhachev presents a challenge level that Usman has dealt with throughout his career, including twice against Covington.