Kamaru Usman no-sells Belal Muhammad callout after UFC on ESPN 59, wants next title shot
Kamaru Usman no-sells Belal Muhammad callout after UFC on ESPN 59, wants next title shot
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UFC on ESPN 69: Kamaru Usman post-fight interview
UFC on ESPN 69 winner Kamaru Usman talks to MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight after his decision victory over Joaquin Buckley in Atlanta.
ATLANTA – Kamaru Usman did not remember the name Belal Muhammad, or at least he pretended.
Usman (21-4 MMA, 16-3 UFC) turned back the clock in a dominant display against Joaquin Buckley in the UFC on ESPN 69 main event at State Farm Arena. It was the first win for the former welterweight champion since November 2021. After looking like the unstoppable force on the ground for most of the fight against Buckley (21-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC), he drew the attention of another former titleholder, Belal Muhammad.
"See you soon," Muhammad wrote on X after the fight.
In his first attempt at defending, Muhammad (24-4 MMA, 15-4 UFC) dropped the welterweight title to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315, ending a 10-fight unbeaten run. The former champ called his shot for Usman, but it was a name and a shout that "The Nigerian Nightmare" completely dismissed.
"Who is it?" Usman responded when asked at a post-fight news conference about Muhammad's callout. "Who is that? Next."
Usman has his sights set on the winner of a potential title fight between Della Maddalena and former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. It's a fight that has not been officially announced, but one that has been rumored to be the direction the promotion intends to go after Makhachev vacated the 155-pound title.
"Let's be honest, I'm the biggest in the division," Usman said. "This is about entertainment. The UFC is an entertainment company. You want to make the biggest fight. It's going to be the winner of JDM and Islam. If Islam pulls that one out, former pound-for-pound, current pound-for-pound – who doesn't pay for that?"
Usman, 38, admits that he's in the twilight of his career, but he still has some gas left in the tank for one more title push. After ending a three-fight skid, which included a pair of title losses to Leon Edwards, and a narrow short-notice loss to Khamzat Chimaev at middleweight, Usman struggled to hold back the emotions of a big win. However, he is confident that the next time he steps in the cage, he should be fighting for gold, whether it be against Della Maddalena or Makhachev.
"JDM's no slouch," Usman said. "I've said that in his last fight, and he went out there and showed you guys, don't look past him. He's very, very talented. Islam is extremely talented. I love Islam. I think him coming in makes the division a lot more interesting. If he's able to get in there and wrestle that belt away from JDM, former pound-for-pound, current pound-for-pound, I mean, I think everyone wants to watch that."
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