Kamaru Usman Demands Next Welterweight Title Shot – Whether it’s Islam Makhachev or Jack Della Maddalena
UFC legend Kamaru Usman has reiterated his desire to challenge for the UFC welterweight championship in his next fight.
In the main event of UFC 322, Jack Della Maddalena will defend his UFC welterweight title against Islam Makhachev in a blockbuster showcase at Madison Square Garden. The entire division will be keeping a close eye on how things play out, and that’s certainly true for Kamaru Usman, the former king of the welterweights.
In his last outing, Kamaru Usman snapped a three-fight losing streak by defeating Joaquin Buckley in a performance that made it clear that he is still a legitimate contender at 170 pounds. Of course, there are a lot of guys ahead of him in the pecking order, leaving many to wonder what route he’s going to go down next in his UFC run.
In a recent interview, Kamaru Usman called for a shot against the winner of the UFC 322 main event, regardless of who comes away with the strap.
Kamaru Usman wants UFC title shot
“I’ll have to be ready. That’s never been a question for me. I’ve taken fights on six, seven, eight days’ notice before, so I’m no stranger to getting there and scrapping. Hopefully this next one is a full training camp situation so we go in our best and prepared.”
“I want the biggest, most challenging fight. I don’t have 20 more fights left in the company, so if I can get that next big fight — that’s what I want. We haven’t seen two pound-for-pound fighters fight each other. Both Jack and Islam are grapplers, which could cancel out. I think that’s where my head’s at. I want that fight.”
“I don’t think the betting lines give Jack enough respect. It’s a close fight; Jack is talented and well-rounded. The gap might be in grappling exchanges where Islam shines. Islam has great striking too — like with Volkanovski, body kicks to head finish. It’s going to be ultra intriguing.”
‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ will likely be willing to go out there and fight a contender if necessary, but it’ll definitely be interesting to see if the UFC entertains this idea.
