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What's the story?
TUF 28 Finale Welterweight sensation, Kamaru Usman, has recently received quite some acclaim from the president of the UFC, Dana White.
The undefeated 170-pounder, in the eyes of White, is expected to face Tyron Woodley for the Welterweight title at UFC 235 and has been given the assurance for the same, even with a possibility of a last-minute pull out by the current champion.
In case you didn't know..
Kamaru Usman is a Nigerian-American mixed martial artist who competes in the UFC's Welterweight division. He is currently ranked number two in the division , following a dominant victory against Rafael dos Anjos at The Ultimate Fighter 28 season finale.
Usman has been undefeated in his run with the UFC, thus far, by beating top contenders in the division such as Damian Maia, Emil Weber Meek, and Sean Strickland, to name a few.
Following his victory of dos Anjos at the TUF 28 Finale, Usman is being considered as a serious competitor for the title by the president of the UFC, Dana White. With Colby Covington earlier pulling out from a fight against current champion, Tyron Woodley, Usman seems to be a perfect replacement for him at the top of the welterweight division.
The heart of the matter
After defending his Welterweight title against Darren Till at UFC 228, Tyron Woodley has since been recovering from thumb surgery as a result of an injury he suffered during the championship fight. Dana White, however, is uninterested in the champion's validation and had the following to say about Woodley's fighting frequency:
Tell me when Woodley does want to fight. This is always an issue with Woodley. We’re going to move on. That division is stacked, we’ve got a lot of good talent.
Whether Woodley fights or not, we’ll end up making a fight with some of the best guys in the division. Could be (an interim title).
Dana White has also promised Kamaru Usman a definite shot at the title in the UFC's upcoming UFC 235 event. White has been seemingly impressed with the 'Nigerian Nightmare,' ever since his pugilist performance against dos Anjos at the TUF 28 finale.
Usman's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, recently spoke with MMAJunkie and had the following to confess:
We signed a contract. One hundred percent, Woodley is fighting Usman. Las Vegas. March 2.
Through a text message exchange between MMAJunkie and Dana White, the president of the UFC confirmed this news by saying:
That fight is happening or Usman vs. someone for the title.
What's next?
UFC president, Dana White, seems to be mighty impressed with Kamaru Usman's recent run in the Octagon and it looks as though he will be backing his cause of becoming the UFC's next Welterweight Champion.
A title fight featuring Woodley and Covington seems inevitable in the making, but Usman may very well spoil the party by contesting for the title, himself.
Do you think Kamaru Usman deserves a title shot following his recent performance against Rafael dos Anjos? Leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below!
