UFC 268 Results: Usman vs. Covington 2

UFC 268 returned to Madison Square Garden in New York City on November 6, 2021, with two championship rematches. Kamaru Usman retained his welterweight title against Colby Covington, Rose Namajunas edged Zhang Weili, and Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler supplied a three-round lightweight battle that nearly stole the show.

Usman withstands Covington’s challenge

Usman’s early success included two knockdowns late in the second round, but Covington recovered and made the later rounds competitive. The rematch became a sustained test of striking, composure and endurance rather than a repeat of their first fight’s finish.

After 25 minutes, Usman won a unanimous decision and kept the welterweight championship. Covington’s recovery mattered to the fight’s story, but it did not change the official outcome or the champion’s advantage on the judges’ cards.

Namajunas and Zhang go the distance

Namajunas had knocked Zhang out quickly in their first meeting. The rematch lasted all five rounds, with exchanges on the feet, takedowns and positional battles leaving the judges divided.

Namajunas retained the strawweight title by split decision. On the rest of the main card, Marlon Vera knocked out Frankie Edgar with a front kick, and Shane Burgos beat Billy Quarantillo by unanimous decision in an energetic featherweight contest.

Gaethje, Chandler and a notable debut

Gaethje and Chandler traded heavy strikes through three rounds, repeatedly testing each other’s durability. Gaethje earned a unanimous decision in a fight that stood out for its pace and danger from the opening exchanges to the final horn.

The preliminaries also introduced Alex Pereira to the UFC with a second-round flying-knee finish of Andreas Michailidis. Bobby Green, Chris Curtis, Nassourdine Imavov, Ian Garry and Chris Barnett added stoppage victories, giving the event substantial action beyond its title fights.

Complete UFC 268 results

• Kamaru Usman def. Colby Covington — unanimous decision, R5, 5:00.
• Rose Namajunas def. Zhang Weili — split decision, R5, 5:00.
• Marlon Vera def. Frankie Edgar — KO (front kick), R3, 3:50.
• Shane Burgos def. Billy Quarantillo — unanimous decision, R3, 5:00.
• Justin Gaethje def. Michael Chandler — unanimous decision, R3, 5:00.
• Alex Pereira def. Andreas Michailidis — TKO (flying knee and punches), R2, 0:18.
• Bobby Green def. Al Iaquinta — TKO (punches), R1, 2:25.
• Chris Curtis def. Phil Hawes — KO (punches), R1, 4:27.
• Nassourdine Imavov def. Edmen Shahbazyan — TKO (elbows), R2, 4:42.
• Ian Garry def. Jordan Williams — KO (punch), R1, 4:59.
• Chris Barnett def. Gian Villante — TKO (spinning wheel kick and punches), R2, 2:23.
• Dustin Jacoby def. John Allan — unanimous decision, R3, 5:00.
• Melsik Baghdasaryan def. Bruno Souza — unanimous decision, R3, 5:00.
• Ode Osbourne def. CJ Vergara — unanimous decision, R3, 5:00.

Sources

UFC 268 official results; Sherdog: complete UFC 268 fight record.

Article Tags

UFC, UFC 268, Mixed Martial Arts