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The next UFC welterweight title bout looks all but set, as champion Kamaru Usman is reportedly scheduled to face Colby Covington – the man who he knocked out in December 2019 at UFC 245.
Should Colby Covington really be next in line for UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, or are there more intriguing fights out there for the champ?
The truth is that while Covington is a great fighter, one win – over Tyron Woodley – since his defeat to Kamaru Usman shouldn’t make him the new #1 contender.
With that in mind, here are three alternative opponents for UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.
#1 Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards
The fighter with the most clear-cut case for a UFC welterweight title shot right now is undoubtedly Leon Edwards. 'Rocky' most recently defeated Nate Diaz at UFC 263, putting him on an unbeaten run of 10 fights.
Quite how the UFC is willing to overlook such a lengthy streak is anyone’s guess. Edwards is 19-3-1 overall, and the fact that his last loss came at the hands of Kamaru Usman should make him an even more intriguing challenger.
That’s because it’s arguable that Edwards – even the raw version that we saw back in 2015 – pushed Usman just as hard as any other fighter that 'The Nigerian Nightmare' has faced inside the UFC.
Sure, 'Rocky' isn’t always the most exciting fighter inside the octagon. He’s only finished two opponents in his last 10 fights, but it’s impossible to deny how effective he is.
After all, wins over Diaz, Donald Cerrone and Rafael dos Anjos should speak for themselves.
Edwards now has an excellent, underrated grappling game to go along with his nasty striking, which should theoretically make him a trickier fight for Usman than he was the first time around.
But then Usman has of course improved dramatically too, particularly in the stand-up department – meaning that a potential fight between the two would likely look very different to their initial meeting six years ago.
Basically, from a sporting standpoint, a rematch between Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards is the only fight to book for the UFC welterweight title.
#2 Kamaru Usman vs. Nate Diaz
While it’s fair to say that certain fans would be up in arms if the UFC was to hand Nate Diaz a UFC welterweight title shot coming off his loss to Leon Edwards, there’s no disputing that a fight between Stockton’s favorite son and Kamaru Usman would be intriguing.
The two men are already sniping at one another on Twitter, with Diaz outright criticizing the booking of a potential Usman vs. Covington rematch.
Naturally, Usman has responded already, stating that if Diaz really wants the fight, he should contact UFC executive Hunter Campbell.
Has Diaz earned a UFC welterweight title shot? Of course not. He’s lost his last two fights, hasn’t won a fight in the UFC since his August 2019 win over Anthony Pettis, and may well be past his prime after over a decade at the top of the game.
But Kamaru Usman clearly recognizes that Diaz is a major drawing card for the UFC, and a fight with him would probably ensure a massive pay-per-view buyrate – meaning 'The Nigerian Nightmare' would be in for a major payday.
More to the point, the fight may well prove to be a trickier one for Usman than some fans might expect. Admittedly, Diaz’s wrestling is lacking, but he’d definitely provide the champ with some problems on the feet, and his submission game is, of course, dangerous too.
Overall, Diaz doesn’t deserve to jump the queue, but then the UFC hasn’t cared about that before, and to be frank, Covington doesn’t deserve a title shot right now either.
#3 Kamaru Usman vs. Stephen Thompson
This potential fight should, of course, come with a caveat. Stephen Thompson is currently booked to fight former top contender Gilbert Burns at UFC 264 and if he were to lose to 'Durinho', then any hopes of a title shot would go out of the window.
However, if 'Wonderboy' were to defeat Burns – particularly if he were to win by knockout – then he’d instantly become a far more intriguing UFC welterweight title challenger for Kamaru Usman than Covington is.
Firstly, despite all of his improvements on the feet, Usman has still never faced a striker as skilled as Thompson inside the octagon.
Sure, he knocked out Jorge Masvidal in devastating fashion, but Masvidal was also thoroughly dominated by 'Wonderboy' when the two fought at UFC 217.
And on the feet, nobody in the UFC fights quite like Thompson, who uses his karate background to land pinpoint accurate strikes from unorthodox angles, all while easily dodging the heavier swings of his opponent.
Some fans might argue that Kamaru Usman’s wrestling would be too much for 'Wonderboy' – but then plenty said the same of Tyron Woodley, and he struggled to get Thompson down.
Basically, there’d be a ton of intrigue in this potential fight, and it’s certainly more interesting than a second Usman vs. Covington clash given that the Nigerian broke Covington’s jaw in 2019.
Add in the fact that the respectful nature of 'Wonderboy' would make for a less tired build to a fight than the cringe-worthy trash talk of Covington, and the UFC would definitely be smart to consider booking it.
