Heavily linked with an interim title fight return at UFC 310 next month against Shavkat Rakhmonov, ex-champion, Kamaru Usman remains coy on the chances of his short-notice appearance at the event in December, claiming he was open to any money fights at any weight next.
Usman, who retains the number two rank in the welterweight pile, has been sidelined for over a year, most recently taking on the unbeaten, Khamzat Chimaev in the co-main event of UFC 294 in October of last year, dropping a controversial majority decision loss.
Suffering his third consecutive defeat in the process, Kamaru Usman had dropped a pair of championship fight defeats to now-fellow former champion, Leon Edwards in the pair’s subsequent rematch and rubber-match.
And linked with a potential interim title fight against the unbeaten finishing ace, Rakhmonov at UFC 310 next month, the Uzbekistan native was left opponent-less from the card after he saw an undisputed welterweight championship pairing with Belal Muhammad fall to the wayside with the defending gold holder suffering a bone infection in his foot.
Welcoming the chance to take on former champion, Usman as soon as December in an impromptu interim title fight at UFC 310, Rakhmonov suggested the pairing earlier this month, and overnight, Auchi native, Usman remained coy on his chances of landing the showdown.
“Yeah, right now negotiations are going on [to keep him at UFC 310],” Shavkat Rakhmonov’s manager told recently. “I don’t know if they’re talking to someone else [but] I’m sure they offered Kamaru (Usman), too.”
Kamaru Usman remains coy on UFC 310 fight with Shavkat Rakhmonov
“I fight moneyweight,” Kamaru Usman quipped when asked following UFC Vegas 100 on the analyst desk of fighting at the welterweight or middleweight limit, and if he was in line to take on Shavkat Rakhmonov.
.@USMAN84kg will fight anyone, anywhere, anytime — if the $$$ is right
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— Uncrowned (@uncrownedcombat) November 10, 2024
Without a win since 2021, former champion, Usman would on that occasion turn in a decision win over former interim champion, Colby Covington in their championship rematch in New York City.