Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has a lot of respect for Colby Covington.

Currently, “The Nigerian Nightmare” is working on his return to the cage. The former UFC welterweight champion has not been seen since his loss to Khamzat Chimaev last October. That loss marked a rare appearance at middleweight for Kamaru Usman, who entered the contest on a two-fight losing streak.

In recent weeks, the former champion has been linked to a potential December fight against Belal Muhammad. However, it remains to be seen if Kamaru Usman will be next to fight for UFC gold. Regardless, the 37-year-old is determined to win back the title he lost to Leon Edwards two years ago, and he said just that in a recent interview with the Weighing in the podcast.

In the discussion, Kamaru Usman talked about his first stint with the UFC welterweight title. “The Nigerian Nightmare” also talked about his two fight series with Colby Covington. During Usman’s run for the gold, he had two very close fights with “Chaos,” who he defeated both times. Although things got personal between the two, the Nigerian fighter still has a lot of respect for his rival.

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Kamaru Usman praises Colby Covington for being a “great dance partner” during his championship run 🤝

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Former UFC champion Kamaru Usman reflects on rivalry with Colby Covington

That’s exactly what he said in an interview with John McCarthy and Josh Thomson. In the interview, Kamaru Usman gave high praise to Colby Covington, calling him a “great dance partner.” The former UFC titleholder also stated that the welterweight champion made him improve his own game and get the best out of himself.

“I say it all the time and I know people can’t believe I’m actually saying it, but that’s thanks to Colby Covington,” Kamaru Usman explained in the interview. “I hear people say all the time, ‘You need a dance partner, you need a great dance partner,’ and he was. In that fight, in that first fight, there was so much tension.”

He continued: “He challenged me so much to prepare, to train and to go out there and just get into the zone. It was almost addictive. (I was in) that zone where I didn’t care what happened.”

What do you think about these comments from the former UFC champion? Would you watch Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington again?