LIVE
Share on Facebook
Kamaru Usman believes he has the tools to hand UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev a rare defeat and insists his style could create more problems for the Russian than any other contender in the division.
Makhachev (29-1 MMA, 18-1 UFC) made history at UFC 330 on Saturday, setting a new record for the most consecutive victories in UFC history after successfully defending his welterweight title against Ian Machado Garry at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
Usman (21-5 MMA, 16-4 UFC) had previously pushed for a fight with Makhachev, but the UFC ultimately gave the title opportunity to Machado Garry. The former welterweight champion instead moved up to middleweight to face former champion Dricus Du Plessis at UFC Fight Night 281, where he suffered another setback.
Despite acknowledging that a title fight against Makhachev may be difficult to secure following that defeat, Usman remains convinced that his skill set makes him one of the toughest possible matchups for the champion.
Usman: Styles make fights
Speaking on his "Pound 4 Pound" podcast, Usman said there are several talented fighters emerging in the welterweight division but argued that stylistically he still presents a unique challenge to Makhachev.
"There are really, really good guys coming up that are going to turn into killers," Usman said.
"Good guys, I understand that, but right now, being honest with you, with all the styles that I see and the MMA mathematics, how it works out, I felt that, hey, styles make fights. I'm telling you guys I can get that done.
"Everyone's like, 'You don't deserve it.' Listen, I get it. I understand. I took a step back, and it is what it is. I said I'll just sit out for a while and then obviously took the chances, and we know how that went."
Usman's comments underline his belief that a fighter's recent results do not necessarily tell the full story when it comes to how two particular styles would match up inside the Octagon.
Usman questions Garry's title shot
The former UFC welterweight champion also revealed that he never considered Machado Garry (17-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) the division's rightful No. 1 contender before his title fight with Makhachev.
Usman said he understood why Garry publicly backed himself to beat the champion, but argued that his own assessment of the welterweight landscape did not support Garry being first in line for a title opportunity.
"Looking at the landscape of things: First of all, I said of course Ian says these things because he's either trying to convince himself or he does truly believe that he's capable of doing these things," Usman said.
"There's absolutely nothing wrong with that, but based on my observation and what I see from these guys, I didn't think Ian was the No. 1 guy to get that shot."
Makhachev's victory at UFC 330 only strengthened his position at the top of the division, but Usman is making it clear that he still wants the opportunity to test whether his wrestling, physical strength and experience can provide the formula needed to stop the champion's historic winning run.
