Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman says he is ready to fight fast-rising star Khamzat Chimaev if he agrees to cut his weight back to 176 pounds and stop his online shenanigans.
Khamzat in the past few months has called for a fight with Usman but nothing seems to have been actualised as the Swedish fighter is calling for the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ to move up in weight to fight him at 185 pounds instead.
Usman has however stated that it will be insane for him to move up in weight from 176 to 185 to fight Khamzat when both fighters are in the welterweight division. He has however said he is ready to fight the Swede anytime so long he cuts weight.
“You’ve heard about the whole Khamzat situation, everybody wants to see that fight. I went into Dana’s office and said ‘I know you guys say this guy is the next big thing in the division, okay, give me that guy’ I said that to Dana. At the end of the day, I have been, and still am, the boogyman of this division (welterweight),” Usman said in a YouTube video by MMAFightingOnSBN.
“I asked for the guy and if you wanna fight and become a champion, cut the f***ing weight and come and fight. I asked for the fight. He is a really good fighter, I like him but hey, you wanna fight? Cut the weight and let’s fight.
Usman (right)
“Be disciplined but he doesn’t wanna do that anymore, he’s got money now, and he’s living the life so he does not wanna cut the weight. He wants to move the goalpost. You wanna be a champion? This is the go-standard. Cut the weight and let’s make this happen.
“Khamzat, at the end of the day, this guy keeps flirting with me online at this point, I think he’s using me for clout. If you wanna fight, cut the weight, and let’s fight if not, stop using me for clout,” Usman added.
Chimaev has once again replied Usman insisting that he moves up in weight to 185 pounds.
“Kamaru Usman, why are you talking about me?” Chimaev said. “You said you want to fight [at middleweight]. The weight [is] no problem for you. You are the boogeyman but I am the wolf. Come up.”
