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Kamaru Usman Defeats Tyron Woodley To Become UFC Welterweight Champion At UFC 235

MMA
Sean Ross Sapp Mar 3, 2019 1:15AM

Even after a co-main event at UFC 235 for the UFC Welterweight title, the championship picture isn't clear.

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Tyron Woodley walked into the night as UFC Welterweight Champion -- in undisputed fashion -- after the former Interim Champion in Colby Covington was stripped of his title. Instead of fighting Covington, Woodley fought Usman, whom UFC President Dana White fell in love with after a late 2018 dismantling of Rafael dos Anjos.

That impressive performance carried over into Saturday night, when Usman controlled the defending champion in Woodley. Round two is where Usman really pulled away, opening up with a big elbow and a huge takedown. That control didn't slow down into round three, and Woodley's corner urged him to get aggressive. Round four saw Usman empty his gas tank while wailing away on the Champion. It didn't empty too much, however, as Usman won the fifth round on his way to a clean sweep. 

Still, Covington made his presence felt. He arrived at open workouts this week with a bullhorn and a championship belt, harassing the competitors. That carried over to him appearing in the crowd, belt in tow, during the fight. UFC President Dana White approached Covington with two minutes remaining in the fight to ensure nothing crazy happened. 

You can see Fightful's full, live coverage of UFC 235 at this link, and our post-show podcast at this link. Fightful's James Lynch is covering the event live, and will share his experience on Tuesday's Fightful MMA Podcast.

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