Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington Official for UFC 245 Headliner in Las Vegas

A long-rumored welterweight championship showdown between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington is finally official for UFC 245.

Multiple outlets confirmed the matchup following an initial report from ESPN.com on Friday. UFC 245 takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Dec. 14 and features two other title fights, as Amanda Nunes will face Germaine de Randamie for the women’s bantamweight crown, and Max Holloway will defend his featherweight crown against Alexander Volkanovski. The main card will air on pay-per-view via ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

Usman, the reigning 170-pound king, has won his last 14 bouts, a streak that includes 10 triumphs inside the Octagon. “The Nigerian Nightmare” claimed welterweight gold with a dominant five-round verdict over Tyron Woodley at UFC 235.

Covington, meanwhile, has compiled a seven-fight winning streak within the Las Vegas-based promotion. He had a brief stint as interim 170-pound champion after besting Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 225 but was stripped of the belt shortly thereafter. Covington returned to action at UFC on ESPN 5 in August, when he took a convincing decision over Robbie Lawler in the card’s headliner.