Kamaru Usman has expressed an interest in moving up to middleweight but only if Israel Adesanya is no longer holding the 185lb belt.
‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ is fresh off an impressive victory over Jorge Masvidal. Usman spectacularly knocked out ‘Gamebred’ inside two rounds to settle their two-fight rivalry.
Usman is keen to fight again soon. The welterweight division is currently without a clear number one contender. Usman has called on his rivals to be active and stand out from the crowd.
“I’ve been through the whole division and now I’m coming back around,” Usman told ESPN. “So everyone sitting around and going ‘I’m next, I’m next, I’m next!’ I don’t really believe in that. Show me something. Show me some activity. Leon Edwards, granted he was kind of stuck in that funky spot where he didn’t fight for two years and that set him back but look at the guy. Since he fought me he’s put together an impressive resume. Putting together an eight-fight win streak or something like that. You’ve got Michael Chiesa putting together a four-fight win streak, you’ve got Vicente Luque coming back and putting on a four-fight win streak and finishing these guys, so why does he deserve this shot? Just because he went five rounds and then I broke his jaw and finished the fight? That doesn’t make sense to me.”
If Vettori manages to upset Adesanya at UFC 263, Usman could move up to middleweight.
“With the whole Marvin and Israel situation, I don’t necessarily want to think about that,” Usman said. “I’m 100 percent behind Izzy and I think he can pull it out. I love Marvin as well but I think Izzy can pull that one out. He’s done it before and I think he can and I think he will. But if there was a case to where I would actually go up and challenge for that belt it would be without Izzy being in the picture. So if Izzy’s not champ, then it’s something I could take a look at.” (Transcribed by MMA Fighting)
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