UFC president, Dana White has claimed that recent suggestion on social media that former undisputed welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman is slated to fight the undefeated, Khamzat Chimaev later this year, is “completely not true”.
Usman, a former undisputed welterweight champion under the banner of the UFC, most recently headlined UFC 286 back in March in London, England, suffering a close, majority decision defeat to Leon Edwards in the pair’s championship trilogy rubber-match.
As for Chimaev, the current #4 ranked challenged has himself yet to return to the Octagon since he took co-main event status at UFC 279 last September, securing a first round D’Arce choke submission win over Kevin Holland.
Moving to 12-0 as a professional with his dominant opening round submission win, Khamzat Chimaev was initially, however, scheduled to headline the event against Nate Diaz at the welterweight limit, missing weight for the penned bout by a staggering seven-and-a-half pounds.
And despite calls from UFC leader, White for the former to make a move to the middleweight division for his next Octagon outing – which has been rumored for UFC 294 in October, Chimaev has insisted that despite advice, he will make up his own mind and where he will compete next.
Off the back of his UFC 286 loss, Usman revealed he plans to make a quickfire return, and called for a fight with Chechen-born finisher, Chimaev, however, White claimed that while he was interested in booking the pairing, he would not consider a catchweight clash between the two.
Dana White shuts down talk of a Kamaru Usman, Khamzat Chimaev fight
In the wake of continued speculation that an announcement regarding a Chimaev and Usman fight is imminent, White revealed, however, that the promotion were not currently looking at pitting the duo together.
“Completely not true,” Dana White told TSN reporter Aaron Bronsteter, when asked about if the UFC were working on a fight between Kamaru Usman and Khamzat Chimaev. “It’s bullsh*t.”
“We got a plan for Khamzat (Chimaev), and when we’re ready to announce it, we will,” White explained. “I don’t know what (Kamaru) Usman is gonna do right now. Usman’s still making some decisions, you know. He wants to fight Khamzat but he doesn’t wanna fight at ‘85. And I’m not doing a catchweight.”