What’s Next For Kamaru Usman?

andrewadmin

November 15, 2021

Last weekend, we watched the rematch for the welterweight title between Kamaru Usman (20-1) and Colby Convington (16-3) in the UFC 268. It was indeed a brutal fight between Kamaru Usman, who fought aggressively to defend his title, against Colby, who was equally a ferocious challenger. The fight was their second meeting after Kamaru defeated Colby in the Octagon in 2019. Two years ago, it was an aggressive fight at the UFC 245 where Kamaru Usman defeated Colby via TKO to defend his title. 

Since their last fight, Usman Kamaru has improved tremendously. He has become faster, his kicks have become more precise and, of course, lethal, and his punches are now more ruthless and more direct. His recent improvement is a result of his move to Trevor Wittman’s camp. Kamaru is now a dangerous fighter, and his fight with Colby Covington was a delight for all lovers of the sports. 

Colby Convington also dazzled in the fight during the weekend. He was bringing his best to the fight, yet it seemed like Kamaru wasn’t ready to allow even the slightest of mistakes. He was spectacular in the ring, constantly exuding a professional fierceness. In the second round of the game, he had dealt Colby with powerful combos that brought him down twice. We also watched how Colby dodged some of these kicks and powerful punches, delivering hard kicks as well. 

Kamaru, who’s the current welterweight champion and a top UFC fighter, has shown himself to be tough, and it doesn’t seem like he’ll be giving up his title easily. It means anyone challenging him will be ready to have the fight of their lives and get enough training to stand the deadly blows and kicks from him. 

The question on everyone’s mind now is, what’s next for Kamaru Usman? There are different guesses on who the fighter will face next. It’s quite a big one because it seems like Kamaru is unbeatable at the moment, and his next challenger would have to match his strength and energy, or he will be mercilessly dealt with by the champion to walk  home with the title again. 

Kamaru is a champion and has defeated several top challengers and opponents not just once but twice. Dana Smith, the UFC president, has called Kamaru Usman the welterweight GOAT, and he is not letting go of that title quickly. After defeating Convington in Madison Square last weekend, everyone is wondering who’s next for him. 

Kamaru is a fierce fighter and him beating Covington twice goes a long way to show how much power his blows and kicks possess. Colby is the number two on the ranking, and getting defeated twice indicates that whoever will be coming next for Kamaru needs to be a beast. 

Nobody else is physical enough to avoid the powerful blows and been brutally dealt with to the point of oblivion by Kamaru. Anyone facing Kamaru next would need to be someone with equal or greater physical strength, wrestling ability, cardio, and aggression. 

Currently, there are some likely options for Kamaru. Next month, at the UFC 269, there will be a match between Leon Edwards (19-3/NC) and Jorge Masvidal (35-15). This fight will be a decider for what’s next for Kamaru. If Edwards wins the fight, then there is no doubt that he will face Kamaru next and contend for the title. And this would be the second time that Kamaru is meeting with Leon Edwards. 

But, if Masvidal goes on to beat Edwards, then Kamaru would have to fight Vicente Luque (21-7-1).  Usman already met with Masvidal in April and knocked him out to defend his welterweight title for the fourth time. So, this means he won’t be meeting Masvidal. 

Luque is a fierce fighter with aggressive kicks and punches. He has won four games by stoppage. It means that once Masvidal knocks out Edward, then Kamaru will be up against Luque. 

Another name that keeps coming up as the next possible challenger for Kamaru’s title is Khamzat Chimaev (10-0).  This young fighter has shown a lot of promise and is one terrific fighter. However, he is below in the ranking and doesn’t have much chance of facing Kamaru. Khamzat has the physical fierceness and aggressiveness that matches Kamaru’s. If the rumors are true and he fights Gilbert Burns next and defeats him, he is very likely to move quickly to the front of the line, and we may likely have a Kamaru vs. Chimaev fight up next.