Kamaru Usman is dead-set on reclaiming his welterweight title now that Belal Muhammad dethroned Leon Edwards at UFC 304.
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‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ defended his title five times before being knocked out by Edwards in 2022 and losing the rematch in 2023. He then fought and lost to Khamzat Chimaev on short notice and is now looking to return to the division he once dominated.
In light of the events at UFC 304, Usman believes a number one contender fight would bolster his spot at a title shot:
“Because [Edwards lost], as the UFC as a company, you’re gonna go, ‘Okay, I wanna get Usman a fight to really show the fans that he’s back,'” Usman remarked on his Pound 4 Pound podcast. “‘To show us that he’s back and he deserves the chance to potentially go out there and get that title back.'”
Who would he fight? Only the two most dangerous ranked welterweight fighters: Jack Della Maddalena and Shavkat Rakhmonov.
“Give him [Usman] someone at the top,” Usman continued. “Which could be Shavkat Rakhmonov, or it could be [Jack Della Maddalena]. Doesn’t matter.”
Rakhmonov, in particular, has the most momentum. The undefeated Kazakh brawler has a 100% finish rate in 18 victories. Maddalena, on the other hand, is undefeated in the UFC but has faced some adversity in his fights.
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Who Should Kamaru Usman Face Realistically?
Let’s be frank: the UFC doesn’t like Belal Muhammad as their champion. It took a ten-fight winning streak and plenty of stalling for Muhammad to get his title shot, and neither fans nor pundits like his fighting style; the UFC will be looking to kick him from the throne very soon.
Who better to do this than Rakhmonov, a proven finisher with a fan-pleasing style? Maddalena, on the other hand, could fight Usman or Edwards for the No. 1 contender status.
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