Islam Makhachev: "If you have belt, me and you fight" - Old footage shows when Kamaru Usman and Islam Makhachev foreshadowed potential clash

Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and former lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev were once spotted sharing a conversation in 2022 when Makhachev was yet to lay claim to the lightweight title. The two talked about the possibility of a fight between them in the future.

Usman is widely regarded as one of the greatest welterweights to ever grace the UFC octagon. He enjoyed a 15-fight win streak in the promotion before going down a three-fight skid. On the other hand, Makhachev established himself as the most decorated lightweight in the promotion's history, having won the belt in 2022 and defending it four times.

Makhachev asked 'The Nigerian Nightmare' whether the two of them could draw big numbers in a potential future pay-per-view bout. In response, Usman said they could deliver an epic showdown—on the condition that Makhachev first captures the lightweight title. The 38-year-old also joked that Makhachev looks physically bigger than him and is probably walking around at middleweight.

"Me and you? Yes. If you have the belt by then, you and I will fight. You’re a middleweight—look how big you are! You’re even taller than me."

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Check out Kamaru Usman's comments below:

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Henry Cejudo shares details about alleged podcast brawl between Kamaru Usman and Belal Muhammad

Henry Cejudo appeared on the JAXXON PODCAST where he shed light on the alleged brawl between Kamaru Usman and Belal Muhammad during the filming of a Pound 4 Pound podcast episode.

Cejudo said that tensions increased between Usman and Muhammad during the sit-down, and ultimately a physical brawl took place between the two.

"There was already drama coming in, so once they came in, I was kind of like the mediator there. I was like— Hey, what’s up Belal? What do you think of Kamaru? Hey Kamaru, what do you think of Belal? And shit just started kind of escalating. I’ll be honest with you, Kamaru probably started it, but I could see why."

Check out the video below (33:00):

About the author

Shehryar Burzin Edibam covers MMA and boxing for Sportskeeda. He began training in MMA in 2021 after watching Conor McGregor’s epic duel with Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229. That fight made Shehryar delve deeper into the sport and explore the fascinating stories of its athletes.

Shehryar's passion for all things MMA enables him to share insightful details and thrilling narratives of the sport with a wider audience.

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Edited by Shehryar Edibam