UFC 268: Usman vs. Covington 2 | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Tito Wordsmith
- May 17
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 15
Introduction
UFC 268: Usman vs. Covington 2 took place on Saturday, November 6, 2021 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It was the UFC's annual MSG show, the deepest card of 2021 in terms of in-cage quality and historical significance, and one of the most loaded title cards in promotion history with two championship fights and an all-time Fight of the Year contender on the main card. The event produced an estimated 700,000 pay-per-view buys and one of the highest UFC gates in MSG history.
Kamaru Usman fought a tactical five-round welterweight title defense against rival Colby Covington in their rematch. Usman controlled distance, mixed his wrestling with sustained striking output, and won 49-46, 49-46, 48-47. It was his fifth successful welterweight title defense.
The co-main saw Rose Namajunas retain the strawweight title against Zhang Weili by split decision. The featured main-card bout produced the Fight of the Night: Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler trading rounds in one of the most violent five-round non-title fights in UFC history.
Contents
• FAQ
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, November 6, 2021
📍 Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA
👥 Attendance: 20,138 (full capacity)
💰 Gate: $9.4 million
📺 PPV Buys: ~700,000
📡 Broadcast: Pay-per-view (ESPN+ in USA)
🏆 Main Event: Kamaru Usman (c) vs. Colby Covington — UFC Welterweight Championship (170 lbs)
✅ Result: Usman def. Covington via Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47)
🥇 Co-Main: Rose Namajunas (c) def. Zhang Weili via Split Decision (48-47, 47-48, 49-46) — Strawweight Title
The Build-Up
Kamaru Usman entered UFC 268 as the most dominant welterweight champion in promotion history — five title defenses, 15 consecutive UFC wins. Colby Covington had earned the rematch by going 1-1 since his UFC 245 loss. The first meeting at UFC 245 had been a Fight of the Year nominee that Usman finished in round five by TKO; the rematch was billed as Covington's redemption shot.
The co-main saw Rose Namajunas defend the strawweight title against Zhang Weili in their rematch — six months after Namajunas had finished Zhang by first-round head kick at UFC 261. Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler were paired in a non-title five-round lightweight fight.
Main Event: Usman vs. Covington 2
Usman fought a cleaner version of the first fight. He picked at Covington's lead leg with calf kicks throughout round one, scored a takedown in round two, and avoided the wrestling exchanges Covington wanted. Round three was Covington's best, but Usman recovered and won rounds four and five with sustained boxing output. Final scorecards: 49-46, 49-46, 48-47. Usman landed 90 significant strikes to Covington's 67. It was his fifth successful welterweight title defense and his 15th consecutive UFC win.
Co-Main Event: Namajunas vs. Zhang 2
Zhang Weili came into the rematch in dramatically improved form. The rematch was a close five-round technical chess match with Namajunas's lateral movement and counter-striking matched against Zhang's pressure and combinations. Final scorecards: 48-47, 47-48, 49-46 — a split decision for Namajunas. Zhang was visibly emotional after the decision. Namajunas would defend once more before Zhang reclaimed the title at UFC 281 in November 2022.
Full Results
Main Card (Pay-Per-View)
Kamaru Usman (c) def. Colby Covington — Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) — Welterweight Title
Rose Namajunas (c) def. Zhang Weili — Split Decision (48-47, 47-48, 49-46) — Strawweight Title
Justin Gaethje def. Michael Chandler — Unanimous Decision (49-46, 48-47, 49-46) — Lightweight (5 rounds, non-title)
Marlon Vera def. Frankie Edgar — KO (front kick) — R1, 1:02 — Bantamweight
Shane Burgos def. Billy Quarantillo — Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) — Featherweight
Preliminary Card (ESPN/ESPN+)
Chris Curtis def. Phil Hawes — KO (punches) — R2, 1:14 — Middleweight
Bobby Green def. Al Iaquinta — Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) — Lightweight
Nassourdine Imavov def. Edmen Shahbazyan — Unanimous Decision — Middleweight
Melsik Baghdasaryan def. Bruno Souza — KO (punches) — R2, 1:09 — Featherweight
Bonuses & Awards
🥊 Fight of the Night: Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Chandler — $50,000 each. The 5-round non-title war was widely regarded as a Fight of the Year contender.
🥇 Performance of the Night: Marlon Vera — $50,000 for the first-round front-kick KO of Frankie Edgar.
🥇 Performance of the Night: Chris Curtis — $50,000 for the second-round KO of Phil Hawes (short-notice UFC debut).
Records & Milestones
• Kamaru Usman's fifth consecutive UFC welterweight title defense — tying Georges St-Pierre's record at the time.
• Usman's 15th consecutive UFC win — the longest active win streak in the welterweight division.
• Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Chandler — widely regarded as the 2021 UFC Fight of the Year.
• Frankie Edgar's KO loss to Marlon Vera was his final UFC fight — he retired after the bout at age 40.
• UFC 268 gate of $9.4 million — the highest non-McGregor UFC PPV gate of 2021.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 268 is widely regarded as one of the most loaded title cards in UFC history. Two championship fights, a Fight of the Year-winning non-title five-rounder, and a clear retirement moment for one of the most respected lightweight champions of the previous decade. The card's depth made it the standard-bearer for what a UFC main event card could look like.
For Kamaru Usman, UFC 268 was the peak of his championship reign. He would defend once more at UFC 278 in August 2022 against Leon Edwards — a fight he was winning on cards before a fifth-round head-kick KO snatched the title away. He has not won a UFC bout since.
For Justin Gaethje, the win over Chandler positioned him for a title shot. He challenged Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title at UFC 274 in May 2022 (submission loss) and won the BMF belt against Dustin Poirier at UFC 291 in July 2023. For Michael Chandler, the loss was his second UFC defeat in a row after the UFC 262 title-fight loss to Oliveira.
For Frankie Edgar, the front-kick KO loss to Marlon Vera was the formal end of his UFC career. He retired immediately after at age 40.
FAQ
Was Usman vs. Covington 2 closer than UFC 245?
On paper, less close. The first fight had been a Fight of the Year nominee with a fifth-round TKO and a Covington broken jaw; the rematch was a more tactical UD with Usman winning 49-46 on two scorecards. The rematch was the more decisive technical performance.
How close was the Namajunas-Zhang 2 decision?
Very close. Two judges had it 48-47 (one for each fighter), and the third had it 49-46 Namajunas — widely seen as inflated. Most analysts had it as a 48-47 split that could have gone either way. Zhang reclaimed the title from Carla Esparza at UFC 281 in November 2022 and has held it since.
What made Gaethje-Chandler the 2021 Fight of the Year?
Five rounds, multiple near-finishes, and a level of striking exchange rare in UFC main events. Round one was an instant classic — both men dropped at different points within the first three minutes. Rounds three through five were a chess match between two of the highest-volume lightweights in the division. Gaethje won the decision but Chandler's late-round flurries had judges divided.
Was Frankie Edgar's UFC 268 fight really his last?
Frankie Edgar retired from the UFC after UFC 268 at age 40. He had 28 UFC bouts, three UFC title fights, and a former UFC lightweight title. The Marlon Vera front-kick KO was his fifth consecutive UFC loss and the formal close of his career.
Did Usman defend the title again?
Once. Usman defended successfully one more time, against Leon Edwards at UFC 278 in August 2022. He was winning the fight on all three cards entering round five when Edwards landed a head-kick KO with 50 seconds left. Usman has not won a UFC bout since. He remains the most decorated welterweight champion of the post-Georges St-Pierre era.
How does UFC 268 compare to UFC 267?
UFC 268 drew approximately 700,000 PPV buys versus UFC 267 (400,000) seven days earlier — a 75% jump reflecting the Madison Square Garden venue, the deeper card, and the marquee value of two American-favoured title fights. UFC 268's gate of $9.4 million was the second-highest of 2021 behind UFC 264 at $10.1 million.
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