For the second time in as many meetings, Kamaru Usman defeated Colby Covington this past Saturday at UFC 268.
While the action in the Octagon certainly delivered, there was a genuine anticipation to this bout—one that motivated people to buy the card. Sports Illustrated learned that UFC 268 now ranks as a top-10 selling ESPN+ pay-per-view, a remarkable achievement considering this card did not feature Conor McGregor, Jon Jones or Ronda Rousey.
Instead, it was headlined by Usman and Covington, who previously didn’t stand out as the most recognizable names in mainstream sports.