“I Just Think I Can Beat Some of Those Guys”- Kamaru Usman Eyes the 205-Pound Belt as He Chases Champ-Champ Status
‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ Kamaru Usman takes on Leon Edwards at UFC 278 in what will be his sixth title defense. In his own words, Usman is now starting to lap the division as the fight with Edwards is yet another rematch for a champion who seems to be going from strength to strength every time he steps into the UFC octagon.
The Nigerian-born champion came into the UFC as a wrestler and for most of his career relied heavily on his wrestling to secure wins. Off late under the tutelage of Trevor Wittman, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ has been putting some of the best strikers at welterweight to sleep with his striking.
As he prepares to take on Edwards for the second time, Usman is cognizant of the threat that Edwards possesses, but at the same time, he has his sights set on bigger goals. In the pre-fight press conference that took place yesterday, he said, “I’m still thinking about [skipping middleweight] and going to get that light heavyweight title, too,” said Usman. “I just think I can beat some of those guys. Some! Before you all kill me, I said some. There are some killers in that division and I definitely respect that, but I think those guys who were at the top, there was a couple of guys out there that I would probably take out.”
Kamaru Usman at 205 pounds?
The welterweight division is one of the most talent-stacked divisions in the UFC, especially after the rise of promising talents such as Shavkat Rakhmonov and Khamzat Chimaev. There will never be a shortage of challengers for Usman at 170-pounds. However, none of them will be able to give him the mega payday that he is after.
For ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ there are only a few options that ensure a massive payday. A fight against Conor McGregor or a fight against Israel Adesanya for the 185-pound belt, which will never happen. However, his most recent idea of jumping to 205-pound might also be a big payday for him, whether or not it happens remains to be seen.
