Kamaru Usman continues to be steadfast in his perception he might’ve moved up two divisions to mild heavyweight when he was nonetheless welterweight champion and defeated the champion on the time.
Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) was written off as loopy a number of years in the past when he confronted off with then-light heavyweight titleholder Jan Blachowicz backstage at a UFC occasion and teased transferring up 35 kilos in weight.
It by no means materialized, and each males finally misplaced their championship belts. Usman most not too long ago competed at middleweight for the primary time with a slender loss to Khamzat Chimaev in October, whereas Blachowicz (29-10-1 MMA, 12-7-1 UFC) is recovering from a number of surgical procedures in hopes of returning to the octagon this 12 months.
Though the ship has seemingly sailed on the Usman vs. Blachowicz pairing, maybe it’s not completely off the desk. Throughout a current episode of his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with co-host Henry Cejudo, former longtime UFC champ Usman defined why he felt so assured in calling out Blachowicz (by way of X):
Kamaru Usman recollects his face off with Jan Blachowicz, and nonetheless believes the matchup favoured him 👀
“You see my arms subsequent to his?… Everyone was speaking about ‘he’s a lightheavyweight’ however I used to be on the market thick on him…
I’m telling you… I wouldn’t have known as for 205 [lbs]… pic.twitter.com/dHgH9XvPcd
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) Could 23, 2024
“I wouldn’t have known as for 205 if I didn’t suppose at that time that the fashion favoured me and I might do it,” Usman stated. “Everyone’s received energy when the struggle begins, however you seize their leg and also you drag him down, the struggle fully modifications. And that’s precisely what I used to be gonna do. Glover Teixeira did the very same factor (to Blachowicz).”
By no means afraid of a problem, Blachowicz took to social media and Saturday and let Usman know that if he’s nonetheless , the door is open for them to struggle (by way of X):
When you nonetheless really feel the identical about it @USMAN84kg, let’s go. I shall be prepared.
— Jan Blachowicz (@JanBlachowicz) Could 25, 2024
“When you nonetheless really feel the identical about it let’s go,” Blachowicz wrote. “I shall be prepared.”
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