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Kamaru Usman chases ‘respect’ with light heavyweight title win ahead of UFC 278 return

Ahead of his UFC 278 title defense against Leon Edwards this weekend, Kamaru Usman claims he hopes to land “respect” from the fanbase and critics if he adds an undisputed light heavyweight championship to his welterweight crown. Attempting to secure his sixth successful defense of the welterweight crown in Salt Lake City this weekend, Auchi […]

Attempting to secure his sixth successful defense of the welterweight crown in Salt Lake City this weekend, Auchi native, Usman headlines UFC 278 in a title rematch against Edwards, having previously defeated the Birmingham native in a unanimous decision effort back in December 2015.

Last time out, Kamaru Usman closed the curtain and his rivalry with Colby Covington at UFC 268 last November, landing a second career win over the former interim titleholder in another unanimous judging win. Usman holds a prior title win over Covington, as well as two victories against Jorge Masvidal, and a knockout success against Gilbert Burns.

Kamaru Usman once again weighs up a potential move to 205lbs

Revealing earlier this year how he had weighed up a potential light heavyweight excursion during the reign of Polish veteran, Jan Blachowicz last year, Usman claimed that a move to 205lbs would come as he looks to earn “respect” in the annals of the sport.

“A lot of times nowadays, everyone’s throwing around this, ‘G.O.A.T., greatest of all time…’ That’s relative,” Kamaru Usman told ESPN MMA. “For me, what I want, and this is kind of why I got into the sport … I’m just a competitive guy. I got into sports and I just realized it was something burning inside of me that I wanted to compete and compete. I wanted to best the guy. This is the ultimate, mono-e-mono, the sport to do it.”

“With that being said with respect to that, I want to be respected,” Kamaru Usman explained. “So, when i get in there and I bested everyone, I want you to show me that respect. So, if I bested everyone in my division then I said I will skip one and I just want to prove to you – everyone says pound-for-pound, but’s that just kind of a scenario. You just throw that out, ‘If they were the same weight class, could this guy best that guy?’ And I want to prove that. I want to be able to do that. No one’s ever done it. If I can do that, hey, you put whatever title you want to put on it but ultimately, I want the respect.” (Transcribed by MMA Fighting)

Leon Edwards claims money has ‘changed’ Kamaru Usman: ‘He looks like Terry Crews from ‘White Chicks”

Ahead of his incoming UFC 278 headliner this weekend, incoming welterweight championship challenger, Leon Edwards has claimed “money” has polluted and changed champion, Kamaru Usman as the duo prepare to share the Octagon for a second time. Undefeated in his last 10 straight outings, Birmingham native, Edwards looks to avenge a December 2015 decision loss […]

Undefeated in his last 10 straight outings, Birmingham native, Edwards looks to avenge a December 2015 decision loss to welterweight champion, Usman, attempting to clinch promotional gold at the first time of trying.

The Team Renagade BJJ & MMA staple returns for the first time in over a year, having most recently survived a late fifth round rally against Nate Diaz to defeat the Stockton native with a unanimous decision win in June of last year.

As for Usman, the Auchi native looks to lock up his staggering sixth successful title knockback this weekend in Salt Lake City, and add Edwards to a run of title wins against the duo of Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington – landing two wins over each, in between a knockout success against Gilbert Burns.

Leon Edwards fires some humorous barbs in the direction of Kamaru Usman

Poking fun at Usman’s style and appearance ahead of their Vivint Arena title re-run, Edwards has noticed the Nigerian’s tendency to make public appearances – sans shirts, claiming the welterweight champion is reminiscent of actor, Terry Crews during his role in the 2004 comedy, White Chicks.

“You know Terry Crews from White Chicks? He (Kamaru Usman) looks like that guy from White Chicks,” Leon Edwards said of Kamaru Usman on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani. “He’s changed. Never got a t-shirt on. The money’s gotten to his head.”

Amongst other notable victories since his most recent career loss, in the form of his defeat against Usman, Edwards has landed victories over the likes of Donald Cerrone, former lightweight champion, Rafael dos Anjos, as well as the aforenoted veteran, Diaz.

Bisping Explains Why He’s Confident Of Edwards’ Chances

Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping has explained why he’s backing compatriot Leon Edwards to dethrone Kamaru Usman this weekend. In the UFC 278 headliner, Edwards will have his long-awaited shot at gold having amassed a 10-fight unb…

Continue Reading Bisping Explains Why He’s Confident Of Edwards’ Chances at MMA News.

Kamaru Usman remains coy on Khamzat Chimaev fight: ‘I don’t know if I’m looking forward to it’

Linked with a future welterweight title defense agaisnt the undefeated, Khamzat Chimaev ahead of his UFC 278 headliner this weekend, division best, Kamaru Usman remains coy on potentially drawing the Chechen-born force, as he prepares to rematch Leon Edwards. Usman, the current undisputed welterweight champion, is set to take main event honors at the Vivint […]

Usman, the current undisputed welterweight champion, is set to take main event honors at the Vivint Arena this Saturday in Salt Lake City, drawing the surging, #2 ranked Edwards in a rematch of their prior decision affair back in December 2015.

Attempting to rack up his astonishing sixteenth straight UFC victory, Kamaru Usman also looks to land his sixth successful defense of the welterweight title, after landing a pair of triumphs against both Colby Covington, and Jorge Masvidal – sandwiched between a knockout of former teammate, Gilbert Burns.

Insisting that he is repeatedly “lapping” his opponents and contenders at welterweight, Usman has since found himself linked with what seems an inevitable title outing against the aforenoted, Chimaev in the future.

Kamaru Usman weighs up a potential future fight with Khamzat Chimaev post-UFC 278

Slated to headline UFC 279 against Nate Diaz next month, Chimaev is expected to earn a title shot with a victory over the exiting Stockton favorite, however, Usman has admitted that he is unsure whether he is receptive to the prospect of fighting the AllStars berserker.

“I don’t know if I’m looking forward to it,” Kamaru Usman said of a Khamzat Chimaev fight during a sitdown with ESPN MMA reporter, Brett Okamoto. “The Leon (Edward) one is big to me, because I fight these guys – when I say I fight these guys, I fight their hearts. And after the fight – and Leon, now, has kinda gotten on a roll and he says certain things like, ‘No, it’s destiny, I’m gonna take the belt from the guy that beat me a long time ago.’ It strikes a nerve inside me – I’m awake.”

“Every camp is tough, I train just as difficult for every camp,” Kamaru Usman said. “And so thst is still tough. And mentally I’m there – there might not be as much noise around it, but I’m still up. The Khamzat (Chimaev) – if that fight does come about, I think I have to have the ability to not get wrapped up in what’s gonna happen. Because that’s where, I’m emotional – but I don’t necessarily wanna fight emotional. And what makes me who I am, is being able to control my emotions. I’d be lying if I said, I won’t be getting up, you know, much more for that one.”

Enjoying a roughshod run through welterweight competition during his Octagon tenure to date, beyond a D’Arce choke win over John Philips, Chimaev has stopped the trio of Rhys McKee, Gerald Meerschaert, and Li Jingliang, to go with his April unanimous decision win over common-foe, Burns in Jacksonville, Florida.

Watch: Kamaru Usman Inducted Into National Wrestling HOF

UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman is now a proud member of the National Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Before “The Nigerian Nightmare” was reigning over the 170lb division in the UFC, Usman grew up as a credentialed NCAA D…

Continue Reading Watch: Kamaru Usman Inducted Into National Wrestling HOF at MMA News.

Exclusive | Harry Hunsucker believes ‘all the pressure is on Tyson Pedro’ for their UFC 278 bout: ‘There’s gonna be a lot of heads turned’

Harry Hunsucker is set to take on Tyson Pedro this weekend in the opening bout of the UFC 278 PPV main card. Hunsucker, who is making the move down to light heavyweight for this bout, recently spoke with LowKickMMA’s Frank Bonada about the upcoming fight. ‘The Hurricane’ seemed to imply that he believes he is […]

Harry Hunsucker is set to take on Tyson Pedro this weekend in the opening bout of the UFC 278 PPV main card.

Hunsucker, who is making the move down to light heavyweight for this bout, recently spoke with LowKickMMA’s Frank Bonada about the upcoming fight. ‘The Hurricane’ seemed to imply that he believes he is being placed in this fight simply to make his opponent look good, but this has only incentivized him further:

“Let’s be 100 percent honest, all the pressure here is on Tyson Pedro,” stated Hunsucker. “He’s the show pony right now. I’m just the guy they’re bringing in to fight him. We know what it is… When I show up as the guy I’m going to show up as next weekend, there’s gonna be a lot of heads turned, I’ll just say that.”

Harry Hunsucker has never gone to the judge’s decision in his entire pro-MMA career, whilst his upcoming Tyson Pedro has only gone the distance once. However, Hunsucker believes the fight may well go longer than many expect:

“I honestly think you’ll see this fight go a lot later than anyone would expect to. He’s gonna get frustrated because he’s gonna have to do a lot of moving to keep up with me. So I think that it’s going to be – I think this will be a very surprising fight for everyone to watch.”

Harry Hunsucker on the move to 205lbs

Harry Hunsucker is finally making the move to light heavyweight, a change that has been on the horizon for some time. No longer will ‘The Hurricane’ be giving up height, reach and weight to his natural heavyweight opponents. He stated the following:

“Obviously taking that extra weight off my body is gonna put it in a better state to perform. I’m not gonna be giving up fifty, sixty, pounds to guys like I have pretty much every fight since I’ve been a heavyweight. I mean Tafa, my last fight, he’s the first UFC heavyweight in history to miss weight. He had fifty-plus pounds on me on fight day. Now the cut to 205 really has been easy for me… I’m evening the playing field, I’m not giving up weight and height anymore.”

Hunsucker vs. Pedro opens the UFC 278 main card, which also features exciting bouts such as Jose Aldo vs. Merab Dvalishvili, Paulo Costa vs. Luke Rockhold, and of course, the welterweight title fight between Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards.

How do you think Harry Hunsucker will fare against Tyson Pedro?