Kamaru Usman remains undeterred by negative comments from Shavkat Rakhmonov as he asserts his willingness to face any opponent in the UFC.
The former UFC welterweight champion found himself under scrutiny this week, especially from his manager Ali Abdelaziz, over a previous decision shown in the UFC docuseries Fight Inc. In the episode, Abdelaziz turned down a fight offer with Rakhmonov to instead line up a bout with Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. Usman clarified that the footage was dated back a year and explained that he later accepted a short-notice fight with Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 instead. Rakhmonov eventually went on to defeat Thompson with a second-round rear-naked choke at UFC 296.
Despite not having fought since his loss to Chimaev, Usman, 37, has taken his time to consider his next move within the welterweight and middleweight divisions. He asserts that he will not hurry his return to the octagon under anyone else’s terms and is open to facing any opponent, including Rakhmonov, “JDM” (Jack Della Maddalena), Leon Edwards, or Belal Muhammad, when the time is right.
Rakhmonov, an undefeated 18-0 prospect, has engaged in a public exchange with Usman over the negotiations. He previously insinuated that Usman was avoiding a fight with him and shared old training footage of the two together, which did not sit well with Usman.
Usman emphasizes the value of respect and asserts that when he chooses to make his octagon comeback, he is prepared to square off against anyone put in his path. He points out his long years of training even before fighters like Rakhmonov envisioned competing in the UFC and states his willingness to take on all challenges.
In other UFC news, the medical suspensions from UFC Louisville were deliberated, leading to fighters like Andrea Lee and Brad Katona facing uncertain breaks from competition. Additionally, notable upcoming fights were highlighted, including Gregory Rodrigues vs. Antonio Trocoli at UFC Vegas 93 and Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303. The report concluded with the author’s announcement of moving from Washington to Tennessee on the same day.
