UFC 245: Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman silences Colby Covington with late TKO

LAS VEGAS — A bitter war of words turned into a war of attrition. Kamaru Usman waited until the final minute to punctuate it.

The welterweight champion dropped Colby Covington twice late in the fifth round and pummeled the challenger until the fight was halted in the main event at UFC 245 on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.

The outspoken Covington, whose outlandish claims and heavy right-wing political leanings while touting Trump MAGA hats had earned him many detractors, showed a ton of mettle and was definitely within striking distance of winning the fight.

After the third round, Covington told his corner he believed he had a broken jaw.

But Usman (16-1) got the last punch and last word. “This one’s not for me. This one’s for the whole entire world right now,” Usman said.

After four rounds, one judge had the fight 39-37 for Usman, one had it 39-37 for Covington, and the third had it all tied up at 38-38.

So the fifth round was key. A right cross from Usman put Covington (15-2) on his seat late in the third minute in a fight that, until then, had featured no knockdown or takedowns from the two elite wrestlers.

Covington recovered and got up, only to eat a straight right from Usman to put him down again. As Usman descended to try to finish the fight, Covington grasped for one of his legs. Usman unleashed right after right to the left side of Covginton’s head before referee Marc Goddard stopped the fight at 4:10 of the final round.

Covington, who protested the stoppage, ran out of the Octagon after the official results were announced and sprinted to the locker room without comment.

“I heard all week, all month, since the fight got signed. ‘Colby is in his head, Colby this, Colby that, he’s gonna gas out, he’s gonna fight emotional,’” said Usman, who was effective going often to Covington’s body throughout the fight.

“The reason why I’m the best in the world is my mind is stronger than everyone in this division.”

Usman, 32, is now on a 15-fight winning streak — he hasn’t lost since his 2nd pro fight in 2013. He became the 170-pound champion when he dominated Tyron Woodley via unanimous decision, winning every round at UFC 235 in March.

His next defense could come against fellow Floridian Jorge Masvidal, as “The NIgerian Nightmare” has fought and defeated everyone in the top five of the welterweight division except Masvidal.

Covington, 31, had won seven in a row. He suffered his first loss since almost four years ago to the day when he tapped to a guillotine choke from Warlley Alves.