Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) icon Kamaru Usman has received support for his decision to step up from welterweight to middleweight in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), as one of his rivals in the lower category, Colby Covington, recalled that the Nigerian was ‘oversized’ for the division.
Although Usman has lost two fights when he stepped into The Octagon as a middleweight, he has gained support from Covington, who took on Arman Tsarukyan at RAF 11 in Milwaukee, USA, on Saturday.
It was the same night when Usman returned from a 13-month layoff, only to lose to former middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis of South Africa via a unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night in Oklahoma, USA, but Covington insists ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ had no choice but to step up in weight.
Incidentally, he and Usman had arguably the most notable rivalry at welterweight, during which the Nigerian fighter won two classic fights, with Covington battling gallantly up to the fifth round in each appearance, hence his verdict that the 39-year-old ex-champ has nothing to be ashamed of.
Covington told Uncrowned, “He was always a big welterweight. He was always oversized for the division. That was his biggest strength. He was just so much bigger than everybody at welterweight. He was so strong, so big.
“He put up a great fight against Khamzat (Chimaev). I think he should have won that fight, honestly. If it was five rounds, he would have won that fight, but he still did more damage in that fight. That’s the guy who was regarded as the best middleweight on the planet.”
Sports247 recalls that Usman’s clash with Chimaev was his middleweight debut and, though it came at short notice for him in October 2023, he lost a majority decision across three rounds, then rebounded with a dominant effort at welterweight against Joaquin Buckley in June 2025.
Unfortunately, his second outing as a middleweight ended in defeat in the early hours of on Sunday, as Usman lost via unanimous decision after going the distance of five rounds versus Du Plessis, who lost his belt to Chimaev in August 2025 and was not seen until he returned last weekend.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday, declared that what Nigerians saw during the 2023 presidential election will be totally different from what they would see in 2027.
Wike made the remark while dismissing claims that the African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential running mate, Rotimi Amaechi, is giving President Bola Tinubu sleepless nights ahead of the 2027 elections.
The minister spoke during his monthly media chat in Abuja.
Wike said: “I watched Amaechi; he had a town hall meeting in Cross River and I counted the number; they were not up to 200 people.
“He told them that this election has been won, he told them ‘can I tell you how this election will be handled?’ Atiku is from North, Tinubu is from South, Obi is from South, Donald Duke is from South and Atiku has won the election.
“That is what he was telling stakeholders in a town hall meeting in Cross River State. How can a vice presidential candidate go to a town hall meeting and he is telling his supporters that do you know that this election has been won?
“I have always told people that what you saw in 2023 will be totally different from what you will see in 2027. Mind you, in the South-East, it was difficult for most of the governors to campaign but now look at the campaign going on in the South-East.
“You think that what happened in 2023 will be the same thing in 2027, certainly not.”
Dismissing Amaechi’s political relevance, he recalled how the late former President Muhammadu Buhari could not get 25 percent with him as campaign director general.
He added: “Amaechi won his last election in 2011 and I was the DG of his campaign, when I left him and became a minister, he was governor. See the margin, I had one million votes and he had 100,000 votes in 2015, in 2019 he was the DG of Buhari and he could not get 25 percent of the votes for his candidate.
“In 2019 when they came with federal might to Rivers, the military, even the American marine came, they brought everything but he couldn’t get 25 percent as he is the super Minister of Transportation.
“In 2023, he was still a minister, supported Atiku and he didn’t get 15 percent. What has Amaechi done for the people of the state to now change their mind to support him?
“He was Minister of Transportation
and not one port is in the South-South, so what has he attracted to the South-South and Rivers State to make them support him.”
Plateau United goalkeeper, Okiemute Odah, has expressed optimism that the team will achieve success in the current campaign.
The Peace Boys have started their Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, campaign on a bright note with four wins, two draws and two defeats in eight matches.
Plateau United thrashed Kano Pillars 4-0 in their last league fixture at the New Jos Stadium on Sunday.
Odah, who has recorded three clean sheets for the Jos-based club this season, enjoined supporters to continue believing in the team.
“I want to thank my teammates and the coaches because it’s a collective game, the result against Kano Pillars is good for us and if we continue like this we will do more better,” Odah told Plateau United media.
“I want to urge the fans to support us that we can do it and we will make them proud.”