Tag: Kamaru Usman

Kamaru Usman Gives Frustrated Response To Joaquin Buckley Callout: ‘No One’s Listening To What I’m Saying!’ 

Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is evidently tired of responding to callouts. The latest to have “The Nigerian Nightmare’s” name on his lips was Joaquin Buckley, who included the ex-titleholder among his options for 2025 after emerging victorious from the final UFC main event and fight of this year. After a 5-0 start to […]

Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is evidently tired of responding to callouts.

The latest to have “The Nigerian Nightmare’s” name on his lips was Joaquin Buckley, who included the ex-titleholder among his options for 2025 after emerging victorious from the final UFC main event and fight of this year.

After a 5-0 start to life at 170 pounds, Buckley had the opportunity to climb the ladder into contention in the division by sharing the cage with Colby Covington. “New Mansa” made the most of it, beating up and bloodying “Chaos” through two rounds before a deep cut forced a doctor’s stoppage in the third.

While Buckley was widely ridiculed for his callout of Conor McGregor post-fight earlier this year, he delivered an improved promo this time around by opening up the floor for the audience at Amalie Arena to select their preference for his next fight.

The biggest cheers were when a clash opposite Usman was pitched.

During the latest episode of his Pound 4 Pound podcast alongside fellow former UFC champion Henry Cejudo, Usman reacted to yet another rising welterweight figure expressing interest in a fight.

Suffice to say, the former champ is tired of repeating himself.

“It’s almost like no ones listening to what I’m saying,” Usman said. “No one’s getting what I’m saying. Shavkat, Belal, Ian, Buckley, JDM — I don’t care who it is.

“One thing I won’t do, which is what I’ve done for so long and too much, which is partially why I’m having to take this layoff, is compete when I’m not ready,” Usman continued. “When I am healthy, I don’t care who it is.”

Usman evidently has no qualms about Buckley being his next opponent. Whether the UFC will give the green light for that matchup, however, remains to be seen.

Regardless, “New Mansa” is no doubt in line for a high-profile opponent next time out — one that will give him the chance to stake his claim for a first title shot on MMA’s biggest stage.

Ex-UFC Champions Break Down Kourtney and Kim Kardashian’s Altercation

Ex-UFC Champions Break Down Kourtney and Kim Kardashian’s AltercationCould we see Kourtney and Kim Kardashian bring their feud from the mean streets of Calabasas to the UFC?…

Ex-UFC Champions Break Down Kourtney and Kim Kardashian’s Altercation

Could we see Kourtney and Kim Kardashian bring their feud from the mean streets of Calabasas to the UFC?

Hopefully not, but considering how hard Dana White wanted to put on a fight between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, clearly nothing is out of the question.

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Even if you’re not overly familiar with the Kardashian family, chances are you’re familiar enough to know that they’re wildly popular and immensely wealthy. Why, who knows? But the fact remains that Kim, Khloe, Kourtney, Kylie, and Kendall are all stars to a varying extent and when you have a group of successful women making millions of dollars and showing off their lavish lives on TV, a catfight is bound to break out once in a while.

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That’s exactly what happened during a 2020 episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians when Kim and Kourtney got into a physical altercation following an argument about… something.

UFC star Kamaru Usman breaks down Kourtney vs. kim

Hilariously, former UFC champions Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman offered a play-by-play analysis of the scrap during a recent episode of their Pound 4 Pound podcast.

“Roll the tape!” Cejudo exclaims as Usman proceeds breaks down the action.

“There’s so many skills on display,” Usman analyzed. “Immediately you see Kourtney approach and Kim pulls guard. You see Kim pulls guard right away. Feet up, upkicks, creates separation. Gets back to her feet. Kim sizes up the opponent, she sees what’s going on, delivers the right hand to the shoulder.

“She didn’t even throw the right hand to kill, she just threw it to the shoulder to gauge the distance and go into the clinch to deliver the right knee. It’s incredible what Kim Kardashian has been able to do in such a short space of time.”

Kamaru Usman Assesses Shavkat Rakhmonov, Ian Garry After UFC 310: ‘There’s Holes In Both Of Their Games’

Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman was watching closely as two undefeated contenders at 170-pounds met in the co-main event of UFC 310 this past Saturday. Cementing his status as the next title challenger, Shavkat Rakhmonov beat Ian Machado Garry in his first pro win via the scorecards. Despite taking the fight on a few […]

Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman was watching closely as two undefeated contenders at 170-pounds met in the co-main event of UFC 310 this past Saturday. Cementing his status as the next title challenger, Shavkat Rakhmonov beat Ian Machado Garry in his first pro win via the scorecards.

Despite taking the fight on a few weeks notice after Belal Muhammad withdrew from his scheduled title defense against Rakhmonov, Garry was able to test the man that many believe to be the boogeyman of the division, so much so that he doesn’t feel like he lost. Later updates on Rakhmonov’s physical health, along with the Irishman’s performance, could be reasons why he didn’t look at his best despite getting the win.

Usman was one of the names that many wanted to see step in to face Rakhmonov on December 7 and Garry has publicly criticized “The Nigerian Nightmare” for not taking fights on multiple occasions. During the latest episode of his Pound 4 Pound podcast, Usman gave his thoughts on the fight.

Though he said that he doesn’t want to give too much away in case he ends up fighting either man at some point, Usman believes that Rakhmonov and Garry exposed each others weaknesses at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

“I am a wrestler. Once Ian got taken down a few times, then the fight kinda got away from him. Shavkat, as far as standing and putting the combinations together, he couldn’t really do that well with Ian Garry. There’s holes in both of their games.”

Despite this, Usman went on to give both men credit for the mentality that they showed in the fight.

“It shows how Shavkat is a dog. He’s willing to just do whatever it takes to get in there and get that win, and so is Ian. It’s just that Shavkat was a little bit more of a dog than Ian Garry.”

Ian Garry Doesn’t Hold Back On ‘Weak-Minded’ Kamaru Usman: ‘When It Matters Between The Legs, He’s A Little Man’ 

It seems there’s no love lost between UFC welterweight contenders Ian Garry and Kamaru Usman. The former champion and undefeated Irishman were among four names apparently offered the spot opposite Shavkat Rakhmonov at this weekend’s UFC 310 pay-per-view following the withdrawal of Belal Muhammad. It was ultimately the latter who accepted, swapping his headline spot […]

It seems there’s no love lost between UFC welterweight contenders Ian Garry and Kamaru Usman.

The former champion and undefeated Irishman were among four names apparently offered the spot opposite Shavkat Rakhmonov at this weekend’s UFC 310 pay-per-view following the withdrawal of Belal Muhammad.

It was ultimately the latter who accepted, swapping his headline spot at next Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Tampa to co-headline the final numbered event of 2024 in a title eliminator at 170 pounds.

Among others — Colby Covington and Carlos Prates, according to Rakhmonov — Garry has benefited from Usman choosing against sharing the cage with “Nomad” inside T-Mobile Arena this week.

During an appearance on Monday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Garry discussed Usman’s rejection of the short-notice assignment against Rakhmonov this weekend, which the Kazakh star says he initially accepted.

The Irishman went as far as to call Usman “weak-minded,” theorizing that he’ll now push for a showdown with Jack Della Maddalena in 2025 given his weakness in the grappling department.

“Usman has a big chest and little balls,” Garry said. “He looks good and plays the part, but when it matters between the legs, he’s a little man. That’s my outlook on it. … Him and Colby are older, been through the division, fought these guys. Now they’re getting to the end of their careers and they want to choose the better stylistic matchups. But I guarantee this: Usman is going to try to push for a fight with Jack Della Maddalena because he’s seen how easily Gilbert Burns was able to take him down.

“If I was in Usman’s shoes, why would I wanna fight the guy that’s long, rangey, difficult to deal with, when I can fight a guy who I watched two people back-to-back be able to take him down quite easily?” Garry continued. “I guarantee you Usman is going to try to push for the JDM fight, because he’s weak-minded.”

Usman has been the subject of similar criticism from some corners of the fanbase, and he took to his Pound 4 Pound podcast alongside Henry Cejudo this week to hit back at those questioning his decision not to fight Rakhmonov on short notice.

Kamaru Usman Addresses Backlash For Skipping Short-Notice Shavkat Rakhmonov Fight At UFC 310

Kamaru Usman isn’t holding back against the online criticism after choosing to pass on a short-notice clash with Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310. Rakhmonov was originally slated to challenge reigning welterweight champion Belal Muhammad in the headlining bout of the UFC’s final pay-per-view of the year on Dec. 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las […]

Kamaru Usman isn’t holding back against the online criticism after choosing to pass on a short-notice clash with Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310.

Rakhmonov was originally slated to challenge reigning welterweight champion Belal Muhammad in the headlining bout of the UFC’s final pay-per-view of the year on Dec. 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. However, the highly anticipated clash was derailed when Muhammad was sidelined by a bone infection in his foot, leaving “Nomad” without an opponent for the big night.

“The Nigerian Nightmare” initially showed interest in stepping up for a last-minute showdown with Rakhmonov, even hinting that he was gearing up in case the opportunity came his way. However, the former UFC welterweight champion later reconsidered, admitting that the date would come too soon for him to be adequately prepared for such a high-stakes clash.

As a result, Ian Garry seized the opportunity to step in and face Rakhmonov, relinquishing his previously scheduled main event spot against Joaquin Buckley at the UFC Fight Night in Tampa on Dec. 14.

This decision sparked a wave of criticism aimed at Usman, with many accusing him of avoiding the undefeated Kazakh.

During a recent episode of his Pound 4 Pound Podcast, Usman fired back at the fan backlash over his decision. The 37-year-old Nigerian-born American expressed his frustration, stating that fans were quick to judge without fully understanding the circumstances.

“I’m seeing people online going, ‘Oh, you’re scared, you ducked him,’” Usman said. “When people who are your fans or fans of a fighter don’t get their desired wish, ‘That’s the fight I want,’ then it’s like, ‘Oh no, that guy must be scared because he didn’t take the fight.’ Like, guys, shut up.

“World champion, defending belts time and time again, oh, he’s scared? Yeah, shut up. Just because you didn’t get what you wanted — guess what? It’s like your mom telling you, ‘No, you can’t have that toy today.’ You know, you can’t have that toy, so shut your mouth.”

Usman was last seen in action at UFC 294 in October 2023, where he suffered a majority decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev in a short-notice middleweight bout.

“The Nigerian Nightmare” is currently navigating the toughest stretch of his career, having lost his 170-pound title to Leon Edwards at UFC 278 in August 2022. Since that defeat, he has struggled, posting an 0-2 record in his past two Octagon outings.

Kamaru Usman Eliminates Himself As An Option For Shavkat Rakhmonov At UFC 310

When Belal Muhammed announced that he had withdrawn from the first defense of his welterweight title at UFC 310, a lot of fight fans quickly came to the same conclusion. In the hopes of keeping Shavkat Rakhmonov on the card, a replacement opponent would need to be found for what would likely be an interim […]

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When Belal Muhammed announced that he had withdrawn from the first defense of his welterweight title at UFC 310, a lot of fight fans quickly came to the same conclusion. In the hopes of keeping Shavkat Rakhmonov on the card, a replacement opponent would need to be found for what would likely be an interim title fight.

Rakhmonov pushed for this and like many people online, he wanted to face the former champion of the division in Kamaru Usman. “The Nigerian Nightmare” may be winless in his last three but his reign as the welterweight champion still gives him lots of pedigree at 170-pounds.

The fight got everyone excited for December 7 but it unfortunately doesn’t look like we will get to see this match-up take place in Las Vegas. Usman spoke about the fight during a recent episode of his Pound 4 Pound podcast alongside Henry Cejudo.

He said that fighting the undefeated Rakhmonov is something that greatly interests him but without giving away any clear reason why, he said that stepping inside the Octagon in just a few weeks doesn’t look like it’ll be an option for him. This leaves very few options for potential replacements meaning that the UFC’s final PPV card of 2024 could be down to one title fight as Alexandre Pantoja defends his flyweight belt against the debuting Kai Asakura.

“To be honest, it’s a fight that I’ve looked at and it’s definitely a very, very winnable fight and I know that I can, of all people, go out there and expose what hasn’t been exposed in a young, hungry, streaky guy in Shavkat Rakhmonov. He’s very talented, he’s very good but I do see the holes and I think that I can exploit that when that time is right but December 7 might be a little too early for that time.”

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