Report: Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington To Be Booked For UFC 245 in December

After negotiations initially broke down for the highly-anticipated welterweight title fight between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington, it now seems the bout is close to being finalized to take place at UFC 245 on Dec. 14.

If the fight does end up going ahead it will be the third title fight added to the card with the UFC already announcing a 145-pound title fight between Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski as well as two-division champ Amanda Nunes defending her bantamweight belt against Germaine de Randamie.

The news of the Usman vs. Covington fight being back on the docket was broken by ESPN’s Ariel Helwani who told viewers of his The MMA Reporters podcast (via Aaron Bronsteter):

“Per [Ariel Helwani] on ‘The MMA Reporters’ podcast, the UFC are closing in on booking Kamaru Usman vs Colby Covington for UFC 245. It would be one of three title bouts on the card.”

UFC President Dana White revealed recently that Usman vs. Covington was not going ahead, alleging that Covington rejected the fight before also turning down a fight against former champ Tyron Woodley.

In response to rejecting the previous fight offer, Covington accused the UFC of using bully tactics and “slave labor negotiations.”

Usman has yet to defend the belt since winning it in March in a dominant five-round steamrolling of then-champ Woodley. Covington, on the other hand, is coming off a dominant of his own over former champ in Robbie Lawler last month.