Usman and Covington run it back on Nov. 6, while Rose Namajunas and Weili Zhang do the same in New York City
3 min read
One of the marquee events of the fighting calendar is back in a big way on Saturday night when UFC returns to Madison Square Garden in New York. Given a prominent spot in the promotion’s PPV slotting since the legalization of MMA in 2017, UFC typically goes all out for New York City and this week is no different. Two title fights headline the return to The Garden after two years away with a bevy of interesting bouts filling out the undercard for UFC 268 on Nov. 6.
Both title bouts happen to be rematches and the main event sees bitter rivals Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington slug it out for the welterweight championship. Usman scored a fifth-round TKO of Covington in 2019 to make his first defense of the belt. He’s gone on to defend three times since then with Covington fighting just once in that timeframe.
Elsewhere, Rose Namajunas and Weili Zhang are set to run it back after Namajunas earned the women’s strawweight crown in April with a vicious head kick knockout in the first round. The loss snapped a 20-fight win streak for Zhang as she catapulted to the top of the sport incredibly fast. Plus, the fight many fans have waited all year to finally see is here as Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler scrap it out in the PPV opener at lightweight. The bout is expected to produce the next title contender in the division after Dustin Poirier and Charles Oliveira battle in December.
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Plus, expect fireworks when the PPV kicks off at 10 p.m. ET as lightweight warriors Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler slug it out with a potential title shot at stake. Gaethje, the former interim 155-pound titleholder, has not fought since losing in his chance to unify against Khabib Nurmagomedov in October 2020. Prior to that, “The Highlight” left a destructive path in his wake with four straight knockout victories over other top contenders in the division. Chandler, meanwhile, made waves with his debut on the same card in October 2020 with a TKO of Dan Hooker. He got the call to battle Charles Oliveira for the vacant title in May, but came up on the short end of a second-round TKO.
Below is the complete fight card for Saturday night with odds via Caesars Sportsbook. CBS Sports will be with you throughout fight week with the latest news, in-depth features and betting advice to consider. Stay tuned to this page for the latest links as we inch closer to the first bell inside Madison Square Garden.
UFC 268 fight card, results, odds
- Kamaru Usman (c) -310 vs. Colby Covington +250, welterweight championship
- Weili Zhang -125 vs. Rose Namajunas (c) +105, women’s strawweight championship
- Marlon Vera -160 vs. Frankie Edgar +135, bantamweight
- Shane Burgos -195 vs. Billy Quarantillo +165, featherweight
- Justin Gaethje -210 vs. Michael Chandler +175, lightweight
- Alex Pereira -260 vs. Andreas Michailids +210, middleweight
- Bobby Green -190 vs. Al Iaquinta +160, lightweight
- Phil Hawes -330 vs. Chris Curtis +260, middleweight
- Nassourdine Imavov def. Edmen Shahbazyan via second-round TKO (punches, elbows)
- Ian Garry def. Jordan Williams via first-round knockout (punches)
- Chris Barnett def. Gian Villante via second-round TKO (kick, punches)
- Dustin Jacoby def. John Allan via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Melsik Baghdasaryan def. Bruno Souza via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Ode Osbourne def. CJ Vergara via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
UFC 268 info
- Date: Nov. 6
- Location: Madison Square Garden — New York City, New York
- Start time: 10 p.m. ET (Main card)
- How to watch: ESPN+ | Price: $69.99
UFC 268 countdown
- Main fight preview and expert predictions for the main card
- Brookhouse: Top moneyline, prop and parlay plays to consider for UFC 268
- Brookhouse: What to expect from each main card bout in New York City
- Brookhouse: Five biggest storylines to watch this weekend
Who wins Usman vs. Covington 2? And what other picks do you need to see for a parlay with a payout of better than 8/1 ? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed top picks on UFC 268, all from the insider who’s up nearly $9,200 on MMA picks in the past year, and find out.
