Kamaru Usman Ready to Take Israel Adesanya’s Place to Fight Sean Strickland After Initial Reluctance by Nigerian Star in a Revelation to Khamzat Chimaev

Kamaru Usman is being termed as the ‘Card saver’ among the combat community due to his daring move to step up and fight Khamzat Chimaev on short notice of 9 days. The ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ is arguably the best welterweight fighter to have ever graced the UFC roster. His match against Chimaev has again put him in a position to gain a title shot, but this time against Sean Strickland.

Usman’s reign in the UFC has been nothing short of dominant. He maintained an unblemished UFC record until he crossed paths with Leon Edwards, who bested him on two occasions. Usman’s singular ambition now revolves around securing a championship title before he calls it a career.

Kamaru Usman’s honest opinion about his potential rematch against Sean Strickland

After a considerable hiatus, Kamaru Usman finds himself in an unusual underdog role for his fight against Khamzat Chimaev. Usman’s newfound underdog status is primarily a result of his last-minute decision to step into the ring. When Dana White handpicked Usman as the replacement, he made it clear that the victor of their clash would secure a coveted title shot against Sean Strickland, and with Israel Adesanya out of action due to a career break, Usman and Chimaev’s chances of winning the middleweight title has significantly increased.

Usman’s presence in the UFC has been nothing short of formidable. However, his recent displays have faltered, primarily attributable to a persistent knee ailment. His current trajectory is marred by a string of defeats, and the forthcoming showdown with Khamzat Chimaev looms under a veil of ambiguity, rendering any attempts at foreseeing the impending result a challenge.

In his most recent endeavor, Usman had an interaction with Chael Sonnen on the ESPN MMA YouTube channel. Sonnen inquired Usman about his earlier match against Sean Strickland. He added, “Many people may not know, but you and Sean Strickland have competed before. It will actually be a rematch. You defeated him the first time when he was younger in his career and fought at 170 pounds. Do you also look forward to rematching the current champion, Sean Strickland? “

Usman emphasized that he is up for any challenge that UFC throws at him. He added “Absolutely, I think since that fight, he’s grown a lot. He’s gotten a lot better, and I think he’s just settled into who he is as a fighter. I look forward to that matchup because as he’s grown, as a man, I’ve grown a lot as well. So, I think it’s going to be a highly anticipated matchup for everyone to see, and I can’t wait.” 

Kamaru Usman is looking for a double-champ status

‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ has hinted at his retirement and he wants it to be no less than a fairytale. Kamaru Usman now wants to do something that was not done by any fighter in the history of the sport and that is to retire as a double champion. However, his aspirations are not as easy as they seem. Usman, while having a conversation with TMZ Sports, stated his desire to retire as a double champ.

He added “And what a way to go out, what a way to decide that. You know, I might just mic drop. Go grab the middleweight belt, go down, grab the welterweight belt, then mic drop… What a way to go out. I want both. I’ve always wanted champ-champ but what a way to go: get the top one then come back down, no one’s ever done that.”

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With October 21st drawing near, we will bear witness to the anticipated UFC 294 event. Kamaru Usman seems to have set his eyes on the middleweight title but defeating Khamzat Chimaev is no easy task.  What is your opinion on Kamaru Usman’s plan? Do tell us in the comments below.

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