Khabib Nurmagomedov calls Kamaru Usman ahead of UFC 268, tells him to ‘smash’ Colby Covington

Khabib Nurmagomedov FaceTimed Kamaru Usman to wish him luck ahead of his UFC 268 title defense against Colby Covington.

Nurmagomedov and Usman are both managed by Ali Abdelaziz and they have spoken to one another and have a relationship. Yet, when Usman was in a car with Abdelaziz he got a FaceTime call from “The Eagle” who told him to smash Covington.

“Really good to see you, brother. Please brother smash this guy [Colby Covington] and defend the belt,” Nurmagomedov said on UFC embedded to Usman. “My energy with you, brother… Honestly, I really want him to smash this guy like he did the first time. Let’s go, Kamaru. Pound-for-pound best in the world. Kamaru Usman, Nigerian Nightmare, African Power. Let’s go, brother. I’m with you.”

As Nurmagomedov says, he wants Usman to smash and beat up Covington as he did in the first fight. Of course, the two fought at UFC 245 where it was a back-and-forth scrap that ended with Usman scoring a fifth-round TKO. This time around, the champ believes he will stop him again in a flawless performance.

“For me, the wrong that I want to right is in that fight, I fought with emotion. As much emotion I was willing to display is what I fought with, which is why I think I got hit quite a bit, but it was fun. I had fun,” Usman said at UFC 268 media day. “That lets you know that I got a little mad man in me too. I don’t mind getting hit… I want to make it a little bit more flawless this time around.”

Kamaru Usman enters the fight as a sizeable favorite and he has said he will finish Covington again in Madison Square Garden to defend his belt. If he does defend his welterweight strap, he would improve to 20-1 and be on a 19-fight winning streak. “The Nigerian Nightmare” would also pick up his fifth title defense.

What do you make of Khabib Nurmagomedov and Kamaru Usman’s exchange?