Could Kamaru Usman potentially fight Islam Makhachev at welterweight someday? 'The Nigerian Nightmare' answers

Kamaru Usman gave his take on a potential fight with Islam Makhachev at welterweight. Despite sharing a postitive bond with Makhachev and the Dagestani camp, Usman expressed interest in a future fight with the reigning lightweight champion.

The promotion held its UFC 315 pay-per-view event this past weekend in Montreal, Canada. Emeriging contender Jack Della Maddalena dethroned Belal Muhammad via unanimous decision in the main event and became the third Australian UFC champion. This led to Makhachev announce his move to welterweight in order to pursue his dreams of becoming a double champion with the possibility of facing Usman if the latter returns to title contention.

In a recent episode of Pound 4 Pound podcast, Usman spoke to co-host Henry Cejudo and voiced his desire for a potential matchup with Makhachev, saying:

''Obviously, that's a blockbuster fight, former pound-for-pound and the current pound-for-pound champion. Remember what Mike Tyson said Henry, 'friends make friends rich' and that's something we have to talk about because Islam, I love those guys, Islam, Khabib. I love them all...I don't see why not. Islam and I are mature enough to have a conversation. But listen, like I said...Listen, Islam will fill out nicely.''

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Check out Kamaru Usman's comments below:

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Makhachev is coming off a successful fourth lightweight title defense against Renato Moicano at UFC 311 earlier this year. He is now expected to challenge Della Maddalena for the 170 pound throne.

Meanwhile, Usman is on a three fight losing streak, the most recent being a majority decision defeat against undefeated contender Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294. The former champion will return to his natural weight class and face Joaquin Buckley in the main event of UFC Atlanta on June 14.

Kamaru Usman reacts to Belal Muhammad's title loss at UFC 315

Kamaru Usman reportedly had a heated argument with Belal Muhammad during their podcast shoot, leading many to believe that Usman was pleased with Muhammad's title loss at UFC 315.

However, that wasn't the case, as Usman had a different perspective on Muhammad's performance. In the aforementioned podcast, the 38-year-old said:

''People get so invested in this game to where they think that I'm supposed to be happy because he lost. Why would I be happy because he lost? I hadn't fought him yet. Yes, me and him weren't the best of friends, I'll tell you that for sure, but that doesn't mean I'm happy that he lost...It was something that was on the cusp of potentially happening. So no, I'm not excited that he lost. I'm not disappointed''

Check out Kamaru Usman's comments below (1:23):

About the author

Swagat is a dynamic MMA writer with a total experience of a little less than a year, which includes time in retail and sports journalism. He holds an MBA degree.

Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

In terms of rule changes in MMA, Swagat advocates for making scores public after each round, adding transparency to judging decisions.

Swagat prioritizes accuracy and relevance while writing and conducts thorough research to ensure the content is fresh and reliable.

He enjoys playing football and painting during his free time.

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Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena