Usman says he broke hand 3 weeks before Covington rematch

Kamaru Usman said he broke his hand three weeks before his welterweight title defense against Colby Covington at UFC 268.

"I didn't throw it until the back, right in the backstage, when you warm up for the fight," Usman said on the "Full Send Podcast." "I didn't throw my hand for three weeks, my right hand."

The 34-year-old said the injury occurred when he hit Justin Gaethje's head in training.

Usman still emerged victorious in the fight, beating Covington by unanimous decision to go up 2-0 in their series.

This isn't the first time Usman suffered a significant injury in the lead-up to a title fight. He broke his nose two weeks before his first bout with Jorge Masvidal in 2020, also during a training session that included Gaethje.

Usman, the UFC's pound-for-pound king, has defended his belt five times since becoming champion in March 2019.