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LAS VEGAS – In a fight that’s been brewing for a long time, Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington will finally throw down.

Welterweight champion Usman will defend his title vs. former interim titleholder Covington at UFC 245 in a heated grudge. And Usman’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, is very clear about the fact that the fight is very personal.

“It’s personal,” Abdelaziz, who’s exchanged words with Covington, told MMA Junkie. “If I sit here and lie to you and say this is not personal, it’s very personal. A lot of things said that was inappropriate, crossing the line, racist. But at the end of the day it’s not about me. It’s about Usman fighting Colby (Covington). They are two of the best welterweights in the world. They’re going to compete, and somebody’s getting their (expletive) whooped on Dec. 14, and it’s not going to be Usman.”

Usman (15-1 MMA, 10-0 UFC) hasn’t competed since capturing the title from Tyron Woodley in March at UFC 235 as he’s healed from double hernia surgery. In the meantime, Covington was out of action for over a year, and ended up taking a fight with ex-champ Robbie Lawler, whom he dominated over the the course of five rounds in August.

That finally set up the fight between Usman and Covington, which almost hit another road block when the fight was briefly offered to Jorge Masvidal. But the two sides eventually came to an agreement for Dec. 14.

“Usman doesn’t care who he fights,” Abdelaziz said. “Luckily it’s this guy. He’s been running his mouth, and it’s time he eats every word he talks. At the end of the day, 11-week camp, Usman is going to be ready, and this guy has to pay.”

Abdelaziz, along with Usman, had an altercation with Covington at the buffet of the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas one day after Usman won the title at UFC 235.

When asked extra security will be needed once Usman and Covington come face to face again, Abdelaziz said he’d rather avoid any potential legal issues and just have Usman focus on the fight in the cage.

“The whole thing is on us, because (Covington) calls the cops every time we touch him,” Abdelaziz said. “I don’t want to go to jail and go to court. He already called the cops after the Palms incident; somebody from his team called the cops, and we’re dealing with this right now. But we already know he’s not going to fight back. All he’s going to do is pull his phone up and talk. I respect the guy as an athlete to be honest. I have to respect him as an athlete; Usman has to respect him as an athlete. As a person, we’re not best friends. We’re not here to like each other, dislike each other. It’s about competition right now.

“Usman is going to fight him, Usman is going to whoop him, and we’re going to move on.”