LAS VEGAS – Kamaru Usman is willing to fight Khamzat Chimaev – at welterweight.
Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) and Usman have been on a collision course, potentially for the UFC 294 event in Abu Dhabi. However, with Chimaev missing weight big in his originally scheduled welterweight bout against Nate Diaz last September, Dana White said the UFC would be willing to book him vs. Usman if it took place at 185 pounds.
Usman (20-3 MMA, 15-2 UFC) likes the Chimaev fight, but the former welterweight champion says “Borz” needs to cut the weight and meet him at 170 pounds.
“I went into Dana’s office and I said, ‘Hey, OK, this is the guy you guys are saying is the next guy in the division. OK, give me that guy,'” Usman told reporters backstage at UFC 290. “I said that to Dana. You know, at the end of the day, I have been and still am the boogeyman of this division. I asked for the guy. If you want to fight, you want to be a champion, cut the f*cking weight and come fight. I asked for the fight. He’s saying he’s the boogeyman of the division, and I think he’s a really, really good fighter – very, very good fighter. I like the guy.
“But hey, you want to fight? Cut the weight, and let’s fight. Be disciplined. He doesn’t want to do that anymore. You know, he’s got money now. He’s loving life, and he’s living good. He don’t want to cut the weight. He wants to eat, and he wants to move the goalposts for him. No, you want to be champion? This is the gold standard right here. Cut the weight and let’s make it happen.”
When asked if he’d accept the fight at middleweight, Usman scoffed at the suggestion.
“Why would they approach me for 185? He’s ranked – what, No. 3, right, isn’t he? In what division? Welterweight,” Usman said. “If you want to fight, let’s fight.”
But, Usman doesn’t think Chimaev is actually serious about fighting him.
“Khamzat is, you know … at the end of the day, this guy, he keeps flirting with me online,” Usman said. “He’s flirting back-and-forth with me online at this point. He’s just using me for clout.”
Chimaev responded to Usman’s comments, telling him to move up to 185 pounds to make the fight happen.
“Kamaru Usman, why are you talking about me?” Chimaev said. “You said you want to fight 84 kgs (middleweight). The weight no problem for you. You are the boogeyman but I am the wolf. Come up.”
— Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) July 9, 2023
