Tag: Kamaru Usman

Kamaru Usman urges UFC champ Merab Dvalishvili to embrace Umar Nurmagomedov challenge

Kamaru Usman thinks Umar Nurmagomedov is the perfect opponent to elevate UFC champ Merab Dvalishvili’s profile.

[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] believes [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] is the perfect opponent to elevate UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag]’s profile.

Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) dethroned Sean O’Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) to claim the bantamweight title in a dominant decision win in Saturday’s UFC 306 headliner at Sphere in Las Vegas.

Even though the camera panned to Nurmagomedov during his post-fight octagon interview, Dvalishvili refused to acknowledge him. He insists Deiveson Figueiredo is the more worthy contender.

Usman pointed to his rivalry with Colby Covington, which brought out the best of him. He thinks Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) could do the same for Dvalishvili.

“Merab is not afraid, but I know he’s worried about a guy like Umar, and sometimes those are the guys that really put you on that next level,” Usman said on his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Henry Cejudo. “Merab might come out there and look like freaking the best we’ve ever seen.

“So I needed that dance partner. Colby Covington gave me that, and so that’s what Merab – at this point, I think if I had any advice for Merab, it’s to embrace that. It’s to embrace that. You’re right. When they did ask him that question, he kind of danced around it.”

Henry Cejudo suggests Nurmagomedov is bad news for Dvalishvili.

“Merab knows. Merab has a respect for Umar, and I personally just think he’s in trouble,” Cejudo said. “With all due respect, I respect the fact that one, he beat me, and then two, that he came on our show. But if you don’t fight a guy like Umar, the UFC is going to make you fight a guy like Umar. Your career as a champ is pretty much done.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 306.

Gilbert Burns: Despite UFC accolades, Kamaru Usman title shot on three straight losses ‘would be a shame’

Former title challenger Gilbert Burns thinks ex-champ Kamaru Usman should not be in the current welterweight title picture.

After every UFC title fight, the Sunday morning matchmakers in the fan and analyst space start plotting and scheming over whom they think should be next in line for a crack at the belt.

In the case of [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag]’s welterweight title win over Leon Edwards at UFC 304 in July, a name got dropped into the conversation that has proven to be polarizing.

Former champ [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) has lost three straight – two to Edwards in title fights, then a short-notice fight against Khamzat Chimaev at middleweight. Yet he’s been one of the most prominent names linked to the potential for a first title defense for Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC), who needed a 10-fight unbeaten streak to get his title shot.

Even Muhammad told MMA Junkie that he’d be OK if his next fight was against Usman or Shavkat Rakhmonov in December.

But another longtime welterweight standout, [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] (22-7 MMA, 15-7 UFC), who headlines Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 242 show in Las Vegas against Sean Brady (16-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC), thinks an Usman title shot would be a bad thing for the division.

“I think it would be a shame,” Burns told MMA Junkie. “You know, the guy has three (straight) losses – that crazy high (kick knockout from Leon Edwards). And then he lost every match. ‘Oh, it was short notice.’ Yeah, but no one put a gun on your face and asked you to fight. You said, ‘Oh, I want to fight.’ So you fought. That’s still a loss. You need to bounce back.”

Usman hasn’t demanded a title shot, per se, but the fact few are ruling him out as a candidate is enough to raise an eyebrow for Burns.

He said he understands Usman’s resume – which includes a third-round TKO win over Burns in a title shot at UFC 258 – gives him some extra currency, but the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately is not there.

“He’s tough. I get it,” Burns said. “Three losses in a row, (but he) was the champion the ‘boogeyman,’ the No. 1 pound-for-pound. It’s a tough place. He needs (wins). He needs top-five wins. I don’t know – maybe (Usman) and (Ian Machado) Garry (or) Jack Della Maddalena, me. Who else is in there? Colby (Covington) is there, but Colby is always in the closet. The closet’s closed, and then he’s over there and whenever it’s an easy thing, he shows up. Leon just lost. But I think Kamaru needs a win. He needs to look good because there’s three losses. He didn’t look good.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 242.

UFC champ Belal Muhammad explains why Kamaru Usman tougher fight than Shavkat Rakhmonov

Belal Muhammad has been feuding with Kamaru Usman, but he respects the former UFC champion’s game.

[autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] has been feuding with [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag], but he respects the former UFC welterweight champion’s game.

Current champ Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) is closing in on either Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) or [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) for his first title defense, hopefully in December. When asked whom he thinks is the tougher fight, Muhammad said former five-time defending champion Usman is because of his experience.

“Honestly, I would say Kamaru just because he’s fought the highest level for so long,” Muhammad told Submission Radio. “And stylistically he has one of the best IQs in the game. So I think, for me, fighting somebody with close to an IQ of myself would be a harder fight.”

Usman is on a three-fight losing skid, but Muhammad said he should get the benefit of the doubt for his short-notice loss to Khamzat Chimaev at middleweight.

“He still has tread on his tires,” Muhammad said. “People will sit there and say, like, you said, people must have forgot, right? And it’s, people are quick to forget about you, but he fought that fight with Khamzat on eight days’ notice, and it was a game of inches in that fight, right?

“If it was two more rounds in there, I would’ve been very interested to see how it would have went. That was a guy that nobody thought could touch him. He was immortal, and Kamaru made him look mortal on eight days’ notice in Abu Dhabi. So, that’s why I think he would be one of the toughest fights in the division.”

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‘I hope there’s no hard feelings’: Kamaru Usman clears the air with Canelo Alvarez over past boxing callouts

Kamaru Usman clears the air with boxing star Canelo Alvarez over his past callouts pushing for a cross over fight.

[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] and [autotag]Canelo Alvarez[/autotag] are now cool and have cleared the air on their contentious past on social media.

A few years ago, when Usman reigned as UFC welterweight champion, he relentlessly called for a cross-over boxing match against Alvarez, who’s arguably the biggest star in boxing and considered by many as the pound-for-pound best of recent years. Alvarez, who never paid too much attention to the MMA world, would sometimes ignore Usman and sometimes clap back, saying he was just in need of a “payday.”

Now, a few years later, after their back-and-forth, Usman had Alvarez on his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast ahead of Alvarez’s Sept. 14 title defense against Edgar Berlanga and made sure to address the “elephant in the room” right off the bat.

“Obviously, when I was champion in the UFC, I was welterweight champion of the world, and you dominated as champion in boxing, there were some talks about potentially fighting,” Usman said. “First and foremost, I’m a fan of yours. I’m a fan of your work and everything you’ve done in the sport of boxing. I think it’s important for us to clear the air and have this type of conversation.”

Usman explained to Alvarez that the callout was never personal. It came from wanting to test Canelo and wanting to secure a big money fight.

“Obviously we’re competitors, and we want to compete, and of course when we started this competition in our respective sports, we didn’t necessarily get in it for money, you get into it to be the best at it, to compete. But then you get to a certain point where, ‘Hey, the paycheck makes it worthwhile.’ All the years that you work, and you put into it, the paycheck makes it worthwhile.

“You were in a spot where you were dominating everyone to the point the question was being asked, ‘Who else can challenge this guy? Is there anything that anyone has for him?’ At that moment, I threw my hat in, let me at least give him a different look. I’m not a technical boxer. I feel like you know all the pieces of the puzzle when it comes to boxing. … I felt that mine is different. I’m a mixed martial artist. I’m an MMA fighter. They might come slower, but the combinations might be different from what you’re used to. So that’s why I threw my hand in the mix and said I’d love to give him something different, a different look. And who knows, at the end of the day, we know as fighters anything can happen in a fight. That’s what it was. I hope there’s no hard feelings because I respect you as a fighter.”

Alvarez was receptive to Usman’s comments and said they were cool. He did stick to his guns in saying that Usman has no business with him in the ring, but also vice versa.

“No hard feelings,” Alvarez said. “I think this is a beautiful sport, and you’re the best in your sport, and I’m the best in my sport, and I respect that. We’re never going to know because we never made the fight, but I always said that’s why you chose MMA and I chose boxing. If I go in there with you in an MMA fight, it’s going to be different. If you come to my sport, it’s going to be different. I know the mentality of, ‘I can do it. I can do this,’ but when you go in the ring it’s very different.”

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Belal Muhammad wants Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Kamaru Usman to ‘find the real number one contender’

Newly crowned UFC welterweight champ Belal Muhammad wants to see a No. 1 contender fight booked.

UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] believes his first challenger should have to earn their shot.

Less than a month removed from his title victory over Leon Edwards at UFC 304, the conversation about the first defense for Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) has begun to grow loud. This is partly due to Muhammad recently telling MMA Junkie Radio he wants to “be their Alex Pereira and step up” to put his title on the line.

Shavkat Rakhmonov, the current No. 3 welterweight in the promotion’s rankings, has already called the champ out for turning down a matchup in October, sparking a response from Muhammad.

“Inactive? Lol I’m still on trial and Shavkat hasn’t fought since 2023 I think Shavkat and Usman should fight to find the real number one contender,” Muhammad wrote on X, along with a meme of Edwards.

Rakhmonov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) has not competed since a submission victory over former title challenger Stephen Thompson at UFC 296 in December.

Muhammad made it clear he would not be ready to return in October, and in the meantime, he wants to see the undefeated contender face former champion Kamaru Usman. However, in another meme posted to X, Muhammad hinted that the UFC is only interested in giving Rakhmonov his shot at gold.

Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) is currently on a three-fight losing streak. The former champ dropped his title to Edwards, lost the rematch, and then came up short in a short-notice majority decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev at middleweight.

Rakhmonov believes he has already done enough to earn a title shot and expects a competitive fight against Muhammad if the bout is booked next.

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Chael Sonnen: Kamaru Usman can steal UFC welterweight title shot from Shavkat Rakhmonov

Chael Sonnen thinks Kamaru Usman may be able to out-campaign Shavkat Rakhmonov for a shot at UFC champ Belal Muhammad.

[autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] might be able to out-campaign [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] for a welterweight title shot.

Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) is on a three-fight losing skid, but the former champ took issue with fans suggesting he’s washed up. Usman has been trading barbs with current UFC welterweight champ [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) and believes he’s a better version of him.

Undefeated Rakhmonov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) said it’s a shame for Usman to try and enter the title picture as he looks to secure his shot. But based on name value, Sonnen thinks Usman has a case – and it’s now or never for him.

“He is right there, about to get Belal. I mean, he is right there,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. “There is only one guy even in discussion that might nudge him out, and that is Rakhmonov, and it’s wildly important that they get this figured out. If Rakhmonov nudges him out, there’s probably not going to be another time that Kamaru’s going to be needed.

“This is the time. He’s got to beat him. Rakhmonov has got to shine himself up just a little bit more. The UFC, no matter how big it is and no matter what the fan base is, is not ready for a press conference with Muhammad and Rakhmonov, and Kamaru Usman has got to push that narrative. I’m only sharing that because he is this close, and at one point he didn’t know it.”

After dethroning Leon Edwards to become welterweight champion at UFC 304, Muhammad told MMA Junkie that he’s willing to make his first title defense against either Usman or Rakhmonov.

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Ben Askren: Ex-UFC champ Kamaru Usman is ‘likely over the hill’

Is former UFC champ Kamaru Usman done being an elite welterweight? Ben Askren believes so.

[autotag]Ben Askren[/autotag] believes UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] wanting to face [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] is a win-win situation for him.

Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) told MMA Junkie that he’d be open to making his first title defense against either Usman or Shavkat Rakhmonov.

Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) is on a three-fight losing skid, but Muhammad has been igniting a feud with the former champion. Askren thinks Usman’s best days are behind him and that Muhammad is just looking to add a big name to his resume.

“I actually think Belal is getting the better of him (Usman) on the trash talk,” Askren said on his “Funky and the Champ” show with Daniel Cormier. “Usman has a big name, he’s a former champion, one of the longest-reigning welterweight champions. …One of the ways that Belal could see this: This is a guy with a big name, who held the belt for a while, and now he’s over the hill. So he could be an easier opponent for him potentially.

“That (Chimaev fight) was a little bit ago. So once you get over the hill, you get over the hill fast. He’s a little younger than I am. Maybe, potentially he’s looking at that fight vs. Shavkat. He’s going to be well known, but he’s not huge yet. I would say he’s likely over the hill. I do not like him. That being said, I believe my judgment to be correct. Fighters over the age of 35 at 170 and under are like 2-37. So, the facts are on my side, as well.”

Usman’s losses came twice to Leon Edwards in title fights – a come-from-behind knockout loss, followed by a close decision loss. He then suffered a short-notice majority decision loss at UFC 294 to Khamzat Chimaev at middleweight.

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Shavkat Rakhmonov: ‘It’s kind of a shame’ for Kamaru Usman to ask for title shot

Shavkat Rakhmonov criticizes Kamaru Usman for trying to insert himself into the UFC welterweight title picture.

[autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] criticizes [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] for trying to insert himself into the UFC welterweight title picture.

Former champion Usman never called for a title shot, but he has recently been trading barbs with champion Belal Muhammad. That even prompted Muhammad to tell MMA Junkie that he’d be open to making his first title defense against either Rakhmonov or Usman in December.

Rakhmonov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) is confident he’s next but thinks Usman has no business being in the title conversation. Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) has lost three straight – two to Leon Edwards in title fights, then a short-notice fight against Khamzat Chimaev at middleweight.

“I don’t know what he’s (Usman) thinking about,” Rakhmonov told Submission Radio through an interpreter. “Like, I think it’s kind of a shame to ask for a title shot after losing three fights straight. Like in my head, I cannot get my head around it. But yeah, it is what it is.”

If Rakhmonov is able to dethrone Muhammad, he sees two top contenders as frontrunners for title shots – none of which are Usman.

“There’s a few good guys in the division who are very close to a title shot,” Rakhmonov said. “I can say that Jack Della Maddalena, Ian (Machado) Garry. Maybe they should fight each other, and the winner should be next for the title after me.”

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Kamaru Usman credits Colby Covington for being a ‘great dance partner’

As heated and personal as their rivalry was, Kamaru Usman says Colby Covington brought the best out of him.

Former UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] says rival [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] brought the best out of him.

Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) was pushed to the brink twice by Covington in their title fights but outlasted him to emerge victorious. Usman scored a late TKO of Covington in their first fight in November 2019, then dropped him twice in their rematch en route to a unanimous decision win at UFC 268.

But it wasn’t just Covington’s skills that Usman had to deal with. Covington pulled no punches when building up their fight, which “The Nigerian Nightmare” appreciates in hindsight.

“I say it all the time, and I know people can’t believe the fact that I would  actually go, ‘Credit to Colby Covington,'” Usman said on the “Weighing In” podcast. “I used to hear it all the time where people say, ‘You need a dance partner. You need a great dance partner.’ And he was that.

“In that fight, in that first fight, it was so much tension to where it challenged me so much to prepare, to train, and to go out there and just get locked into the zone. It was almost addicting, that zone where I don’t care what happens.”

Usman finds himself chirping back-and-forth with welterweight champion Belal Muhammad, which he previously admitted has lit a fire under him. Currently on a three-fight losing skid, Usman explained how self-motivation is ultimately what matters most.

“That’s a great thing (rival) to have,” Usman said. “For me, I always learned very early on that I’m very self-motivated. I am. But I learned very early on that it’s a fight against myself. I always want to prove myself wrong, and a lot of these fights it was me shocking myself that, ‘Wow, I really was able to do that. I really fought the battle in my mind to do that.'”

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Kamaru Usman takes umbrage with ‘washed’ comments: ‘How disrespectful are MMA fans?’

Former UFC champion Kamaru Usman doesn’t appreciate how quickly MMA fans can turn on fighters.

Former UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] takes issue with how quickly MMA fans can turn on fighters.

Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) finds himself in unfamiliar territory, having lost three consecutive fights – two title bouts against Leon Edwards and one short-notice middleweight fight against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294.

Prior to his three-fight losing skid, Usman hadn’t lost in more than nine years and notched five title defenses. He compares his current state to former champions Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski, and how people have already forgotten their accolades.

“For a long, long time there, I was entertaining and entertaining, and entertaining was the thing for me,” Usman said on the “Weighing In” podcast with Josh Thomason and John McCarthy. “I didn’t care what I was going through; I didn’t care what I was dealing with; I didn’t care what I was battling physically, mentally, emotionally. It didn’t matter to me. I was going to jump in there and perform and perform and perform. And the same thing with Israel Adesanya, which is why you saw a ton of those title defenses. And, I’m sure, Alexander Volkanovski, who also came out and expressed that sometimes. We do these things to jump in and go and go and go, to try to entertain the masses. And of crouse we reap the benefits of that. We get the checks. It comes with that.

“Now, I’m in a place where, OK, with all of that comes a lot of injuries, all the things that you’ve been dealing with. It kind of catches up to you. Now I’m just in a position to where I’m trying to heal all of that. Because, you know, you stack up all these injuries over time, and it starts to diminish your performances to where people start to forget just how good you are, just how much time you spent building your career, doing the things that made you successful, to where they start to (say), ‘Oh, he’s washed.’ Which is, how disrespectful are MMA fans? How disrespectful are they? ‘Oh, he’s washed. Oh, he can’t do this anymore. He’s not that.'”

Despite his losing streak, Usman has new welterweight champion Belal Muhammad’s attention. The two have been trading barbs of late. Muhammad said he’s open to making his first title defense against either Usman or Shavkat Rakhmonov.

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