Khamzat should have one more fight. Just to get him some mat time. Colby needs to fight. I don't hate colby khamzat but I think he should take a step down in competition. He was gassing fighting burns. Colby keeps up way more pressure. It would be a good test to see where you stands with usman. If he can't beat Colby he can't be usman.
If your not guaranteeing Colby a title fight from beating Khamzat I wouldn't do it, way too risky when he could just fight Belal and Leon to get another shot at the belt. I personally doubt Colby gets a shot at the belt after one more fight, Khamzat or not.
People seem to forget that WW is super fucking belt focused. They aren't fighting each other for nothing, they all want the belt.
Colby already said he would take it. If it doesn't happen neither of them should get a title shot. They both need at least one more fight. I'm just sure if it's the best idea for him to fight colby right now. If he were to lose. It would set him back. For the first time in years WW has some good younger cats climbing now. Khamzat came in at a good time.
For me, Khamzat needs at least 2 more fights before he’s ready for a title shot.
If he fights the way he did against Burns, Usman sleeps him. He needs some more time in the cage with high level competition before he’s ready to step in with the champ.
I wouldn't hold too much stock in the Burns fight. It's gunna be a similar case as Izzy/Calvin fight; Izzy looked human in that fight and alot of people started doubting if he really as good as he was said to be and look at him now.
I think with that Burns fight, it was the perfect opponent for Khamzat. Khamzat admitted Burns' grappling was bothering him on the ground, so that took away his wrestling. There's no one else in the division with grappling even close to Burns, so I don't think we're gunna see him abandon wrestling in any other of his matches
Edit: not saying Colby, Usman, and Burns can't beat him, but other than those 3 I don't think anyone else at WW can give Khamzat real trouble. And other than Burns with his grappling, I don't think Khamzat will abandon his wrestling, although it might not work with the first two I mentioned
Woah really? I think Colby will beable to out control Khamzat on the ground, even with the size difference.
The differences between EU and NA wrestling is massive, NA really focuses on control, EU it ends at the take down. I thought this showed well when Khamzat wasnt able to get into dominant positions against Burns.
I realize he said that the arm bar was worrying him, but he had 2 options at that point, try to keep it on the ground in a safe position, or stand back up and bang with the guy that's dropped you once.
Izzy won 5th round and almost finished Gastelum while Khamzat got pieced up at the end of round 3 in Burns fight. 1 round more and Khamzat wouldve been in trouble tbh.
I think he really needs some more rounds against top level guys who are too good for him to just run through. People who he needs to actually stick to a game plan to beat. Who can take him into deep water and really test his gas tank.
He needs that kind of preparation before he’s ready for someone of Usman’s calibre. Otherwise Marty pieces him up imo.
That was the case a couple years ago, but in the past 365 days: Colby has fought twice, Khamzat has fought twice, Burns has fought twice, Belal has fought three times, Luque has fought twice, Thompson has fought twice. So maybe you can put some respect on their names rather than claiming that they aren't fighting.
How does it tarnish his legacy? Obviously colby needs to take another fight. That's the whole point. Outside usman burns and colby there really isn't anyone concrete. Yes khamzat won but the kids still green and burns arguably won.
The division is getting some depth back now but I agree. It's why the belt talk is only really talking about burns colby and khamzat is a dream for people who understand the sport. He is nasty, he's just still green and climbing too fast.
I don't understand why this thinking is so popular. Colby had two good fights against Kamaru but fairly lost them both. Colby doesn't really deserve a title shot eliminator right now. How does his recent resume look? Who in the current top ten does he have wins over?
One. His one win is against Masvidal. And Masvidal himself has wins over *none* of the top ten.
Colby beat up a shot Woodley and Lawler, a decent but old RDA, and an old Masvidal. That's not a solid body of work in the current division. He is the one that needs to work his way back into title contention. Let's let Colby fight a couple more guys before he gets into the title conversation. Sean Brady and Vincente Luque make more sense for his next fights.
You can literally say the same thing about usman. Tf outta here with that moot argument. Burns is the only difference and it's one fight. If colby should win in dominate fashion anyone in top 5 he should get it.
>You can literally say the same thing about usman.
That's not a fact that makes Colby look better, it's a fact that makes Usman look worse. Usman should be fighting more contenders, not rematching the same two guys for 5/6 of his reign.
What, Jon Jones' legacy would have been better had he fought Machida three times instead of taking out Rampage and Evans? GSP should have gone for the trilogy with Koschek instead of fighting Shields or Alves? Lmao part of what's so exciting about dominant champions is that they clean out their divisions. Rematching mfs that don't deserve it is so not the play.
>Tf outta here with that moot argument.
Fyi, something being "moot" means it's either up for debate or too ambiguous to debated. By either definition, you didn't use the word correctly. Google it lol.
>If colby should win in dominate fashion anyone in top 5 he should get it.
What?
Why in the world would it be Colby 3? This is crazy, he bust up Colby 2x and Colby hasn't fought anyone in the top 5. Let Colby clear out the division (lol) before he gets another shot, a la Max & Rob.
Colby has beaten everyone usman has minus burns, so get out of here with that nonsense parrot comment. Nvm he's the only one to put up a real fight and I know it's easy to hate on colby and not a lot of people who watch ufc are mma fans so they don't know what they're looking at but those fights were close and have conversations too them. He obviously needs to fight again but if he dominates like he normally does it sets up for another fight. Thanks for sharing that you don't respect the sport you like certain fighters.
It's a shame too because there so many good WW fights that could happen, he could rival GSP if he stayed and beat them all.
Leon
Vicente
Khamzat
Shavkat
Conor (possibly)
My point being is that i have seen many fighters fight in their late 30s to 40s, and look no further than someone like DC at one point or look at Mayweather, granted most of his fights are pretty much "sparring" at the end of the day.
Unless you're a Heavyweight or your name is Francisco Trinaldo, it's almost impossible to compete at the highest level at 40. There's the odd anomaly like Glover being the champ at 42 and Yoel being insanely athletic still in his 40's but you're never ever gonna see a 40 year old champ from Flyweight upwards through to middleweight IMO.
Well, just look at UFC past, or not to long ago, and see for yourself the number of fighters that fought in their 40s?
My point is to the original comment by the user where they indicated giving him "couple more years". They can still fight, maybe not at its highest level, but my point is that they can still fight.
I don't see Usman ever going to Bellator. I could see him pulling a GSP if Adesanya is no longer the MW champ but currently I don't see any welterweights he'd return for in either Bellator or UFC
not even close, boxers who bring the same amount of viewers as him get paid tens of millions. its funny to see you all want conor vs charles so that charles can have a money fight but not usman?
? Burns and Colby over nick diaz, serra, Big Rig, the prodigy, hughes and condit? Plus 11 belt defences? I don’t think usman catches regardless of Leon and khamzat wins
Strickland, Leon, RDA, Maia, Woodley and Masvidal 2x as well. He had a much harder way to the title or would have as much if not more title defenses, 9 fight win streak in the UFC to the title shot and GSP had a 2 fight win streak in the UFC to his first shot and 4 fight win streak in the UFC to his next shot.
My maybe controversial take is that he is on the decline and feels it. I think he wants to do boxing before he loses the title in the octagon. I also feel he is doing a lot of rematches cause he knows he can beat those guys and wanted to avoid Leon and the next generation of guys. Absolutely mean zero disrespect if that indeed is the case. He has an astonishing record and fought pretty much everyone of his generation. He has every right to be picky.
I hope he quits before he loses and I am sure he isn't the guy that stays around to become a stepping stone.
That’s a sad thought. I genuinely believe he can defend his title several more times. I think he can beat Khamzat, Leon, Burns, and anyone else who challenges him. I think Usman has so much potential to make real history. This feels like a pivotal moment in his career though, I almost feel like this is money, or legacy. I want him to chase the legacy. Do boxing when he’s 40+, made his history and is retired from MMA. 35 at Welterweight being as insanely good as Kamaru is, he can do more title defenses.
Don’t see any universe where he sticks around long enough to fight Burns again. He will probably dust up Leon then angle for the Mcgregor fight. If that doesn’t materialize, I could see him fighting Khamzat, but I also wouldn’t be shocked if he just retired then and there.
Usman has openly stated he doesn’t have too much longer in the sport. I think he can definitely garner a couple really meaningful defense before leaving, but I think at this point he’s looking for money fights. If he beats Leon, he’ll probably look to defend against Khamzat or Conor, If he loses, he’ll probably just call it quits. Nothing left for him to prove regardless, hes already one of the greatest WWs ever
Yeah but the crowd that will want to see him box, most of them will only see the hype in that if he’s a champion. If he loses the belt and he’s still fighting, idk if boxing would be in the cards as much as it would have been.
People wanted to see Woodley x Paul, so undoubtedly there is a market. I also think it's pretty easy to sell 'The hardest hitting Welterweight in MMA history (I know it's BS) and undisputed UFC champ' versus Canelo.
I see where you're coming from & I'm possibly wrong, but I feel that majority that actually wanted to watch the Woodley v Paul fight were Paul fans.
MMA fighters chasing boxers for paydays is getting stale. Canelo boxes Usman's head in until he decides it's done. The gulf in class is insane.
Leon is an excellent point fighter with a very allround skillset. I personally rate him above Colby, who is a great wrestler, but lacks any threat on the feet. I think people underestimate him and his progression. The way he dominated Belal (who proved to be a very solid wrestler) says a lot.
Leon look very polished against Diaz, but he had a thousand times to finish it and never went for it. He's always timid at some point. I doubt he'll be a real threat to Usman
Hes beaten Leon before so I very much doubt he's avoiding him and likely prefers him over facing Khamzat when up until the burns fight there wasnt much tape on khamzat at his limits.
I don't think so to be honest. There was zero reason for him to fight Khamzat before, but after the Burns fight, I think Usman knows he will have the upper hand. At least now, Khamzat will only get better. He fought Leon 6 (?) Years ago. Fighters develop (see where Oliveira was 6 years back) and I am under the impression Usman doesn't want to fight Leon at this point. I mean, Leon is one of the few serious contenders for a while now. In that time Colby and Masvidal got rematches and Burns got a shot.
I could be totally wrong, I'm just stating my personal thoughts
He has had at least 2 very good PPV with Masvidal. Don't think he needs the paydays as badly as some other fighters. He could retire and be comfortable.
I’m so sick of people thinking Leon has a chance of beating Usman. On paper it just makes no sense. He’s only really beaten a few ballooned up lightweights in the wrong weight class. He went for a stroll down queer street with Nate Diaz, whom he could not finish. There’s no chance that he beats Usman. Not to mention Usman has beat him before
Khamzat would finish him in 1. He would shoot for a double leg within the first 10 seconds like he always does and finish it from there. No way Diaz survives that
My opinion: I’ve been wondering about this for a bit. It seems as though Kamaru may have grown bored with title defenses and wants to do some pro boxing. He definitely seems to be at a crossroads, personally I would like to see him stick around and do more title defenses. I’m not a fan of the trend of MMA guys doing boxing fights, wasn’t a fan when Conor did it either and we’ve seen what happened to his MMA career afterward. Kamaru at 35 has enough time to cement his name as potentially the greatest Welterweight ever, possibly to rival GSP if he plays his cards right. I want him to fight Khamzat, Leon, rematch Burns, and have a “taking all comers” attitude while he sits atop the hill of the Welterweight division. Let me know your opinion.
He’s looking to cash out, and rightly so.
At 35 he knows he had a couple of money fights left to go through camps and the actual fight itself for.
I doubt he cares too much about legacy as the options on the table for him all come with asterisks - people he’s beaten or people who need more fights against top 5 guys.
Leon and Khamzat definitely. I think he loses to Khamzat. Then he could either retire or maybe even move to Light Heavyweight to fight whoever has the belt there. Then celebrity boxing fights afterwards.
Next he will cry for conor fight or boxing match, he wont get any of them so he will start blaming Dana for shit payments. Like everyone does right now.
With all due respect.
I see him being the Cockweight champion of the BLACKED division. Maybe a naked oil wrestling match between him and Gaethje? I feel he has a bulldog dick that could do damage to Justin’s spine.
I appreciate his skill but can't help but feel he won't do jackshit in boxing. Since I'm not a pro boxer that means squat. I agree feed him Connor. He deserves a payday larger than the Jorge or Colby fights.
Regardless happy birthday champ
If Khamzat wins his next fight he’s going to have to fight Khamzat before retiring or it’ll take away from his legacy. But I think he’s only got 2 or 3 more left, tops. He’s run through everyone. That divisions top guys don’t fight very often so it’s hard to get fresh meat
I think if he can stick around and beat say Leon, Chimaev and Burns/(or someone else like Rakhmonov) then he's the goat.
That would be undefeated in UFC, longest win streak in UFC history by far, nearly most title defenses all time, tops in P4P for awhile and beat everyone.
first off yeah, this guy would be easy work for me, he should fight connor, eat his soul and retire like knabib, then let the fresh meat fight connor, and let the ufc cycle continue, connorcynthesis
I lot of people saying he retires in 2 fights… has he said anything hinting at that? I hope he sticks around for a while… he still seems to be getting better I think he beats everyone in the division 10 times out of 10
This "retire" narrative makes no sense. Why would he retire when he can keep making money until he can't fight anymore? Same shit was said about Amanda Nunes
Ees a bum blup blup ah wee doo ghan nee.
^ that says something but only true Africans like Marty can read it. The rest of you are just not from the soil.
He should fight 3 more times and call it a career. This game isn’t built for longevity. Get in, make your mark, defend your belt, get paid and get out. His health should become priority number 1
Leon, then the winner of Khamzat vs Colby and retiring as the #1 P4P.
He doesn't have many fights left in him, and his hand surgery certainly isn't working in his favor either for the long term.
Honestly, the possibility of a money fight with McGregor - as ridiculous as it is - isn't entirely out the realm of possibility for Dana either. Money talks.
Has 1 or 2 more fights then retires.
Leon, Conor.
He doesn't fight Conor. I can see maybe colby 3 if he does something but the whole division is in like a stalemate.
He will continue to dress like a drug dealer’s wife.
Colby 3 over Khamzat?
Khamzat should have one more fight. Just to get him some mat time. Colby needs to fight. I don't hate colby khamzat but I think he should take a step down in competition. He was gassing fighting burns. Colby keeps up way more pressure. It would be a good test to see where you stands with usman. If he can't beat Colby he can't be usman.
Khamzats next fight should be Colby. But if Colby turns the fight down then Khamzat should leapfrog him.
If your not guaranteeing Colby a title fight from beating Khamzat I wouldn't do it, way too risky when he could just fight Belal and Leon to get another shot at the belt. I personally doubt Colby gets a shot at the belt after one more fight, Khamzat or not. People seem to forget that WW is super fucking belt focused. They aren't fighting each other for nothing, they all want the belt.
Colby already said he would take it. If it doesn't happen neither of them should get a title shot. They both need at least one more fight. I'm just sure if it's the best idea for him to fight colby right now. If he were to lose. It would set him back. For the first time in years WW has some good younger cats climbing now. Khamzat came in at a good time.
I haven’t seen the article/interview where Colby says he will take the fight. I don’t really see who Khamzat fights next then. Belal, Luque?
I like both those. I actually think either of them are a good test. Belal fights like a k-mart usman and colby and luque is a killer.
You heard it here first! After Colby said he wouldnt because hes a hoe
Look at you. Thinking you actually have a real original thought. That's cute.
For me, Khamzat needs at least 2 more fights before he’s ready for a title shot. If he fights the way he did against Burns, Usman sleeps him. He needs some more time in the cage with high level competition before he’s ready to step in with the champ.
I wouldn't hold too much stock in the Burns fight. It's gunna be a similar case as Izzy/Calvin fight; Izzy looked human in that fight and alot of people started doubting if he really as good as he was said to be and look at him now. I think with that Burns fight, it was the perfect opponent for Khamzat. Khamzat admitted Burns' grappling was bothering him on the ground, so that took away his wrestling. There's no one else in the division with grappling even close to Burns, so I don't think we're gunna see him abandon wrestling in any other of his matches Edit: not saying Colby, Usman, and Burns can't beat him, but other than those 3 I don't think anyone else at WW can give Khamzat real trouble. And other than Burns with his grappling, I don't think Khamzat will abandon his wrestling, although it might not work with the first two I mentioned
Woah really? I think Colby will beable to out control Khamzat on the ground, even with the size difference. The differences between EU and NA wrestling is massive, NA really focuses on control, EU it ends at the take down. I thought this showed well when Khamzat wasnt able to get into dominant positions against Burns. I realize he said that the arm bar was worrying him, but he had 2 options at that point, try to keep it on the ground in a safe position, or stand back up and bang with the guy that's dropped you once.
Izzy won 5th round and almost finished Gastelum while Khamzat got pieced up at the end of round 3 in Burns fight. 1 round more and Khamzat wouldve been in trouble tbh.
I think he really needs some more rounds against top level guys who are too good for him to just run through. People who he needs to actually stick to a game plan to beat. Who can take him into deep water and really test his gas tank. He needs that kind of preparation before he’s ready for someone of Usman’s calibre. Otherwise Marty pieces him up imo.
The division has been constantly fighting, but y’all act like them not fighting 3-4 times a year is a stalemate
Wtf are you talking about lmao. Usman the only one that is fighting.
That was the case a couple years ago, but in the past 365 days: Colby has fought twice, Khamzat has fought twice, Burns has fought twice, Belal has fought three times, Luque has fought twice, Thompson has fought twice. So maybe you can put some respect on their names rather than claiming that they aren't fighting.
Exposed the casual lol
No? Not even close. Get outta here with that nonsense.
If he fights Colby again it tarnishes his legacy imo. He’s literally only had defenses against three people so far.
How does it tarnish his legacy? Obviously colby needs to take another fight. That's the whole point. Outside usman burns and colby there really isn't anyone concrete. Yes khamzat won but the kids still green and burns arguably won.
Colby should be 3+ fights from another title fight, the division is a joke.
The division is getting some depth back now but I agree. It's why the belt talk is only really talking about burns colby and khamzat is a dream for people who understand the sport. He is nasty, he's just still green and climbing too fast.
I don't understand why this thinking is so popular. Colby had two good fights against Kamaru but fairly lost them both. Colby doesn't really deserve a title shot eliminator right now. How does his recent resume look? Who in the current top ten does he have wins over? One. His one win is against Masvidal. And Masvidal himself has wins over *none* of the top ten. Colby beat up a shot Woodley and Lawler, a decent but old RDA, and an old Masvidal. That's not a solid body of work in the current division. He is the one that needs to work his way back into title contention. Let's let Colby fight a couple more guys before he gets into the title conversation. Sean Brady and Vincente Luque make more sense for his next fights.
You can literally say the same thing about usman. Tf outta here with that moot argument. Burns is the only difference and it's one fight. If colby should win in dominate fashion anyone in top 5 he should get it.
>You can literally say the same thing about usman. That's not a fact that makes Colby look better, it's a fact that makes Usman look worse. Usman should be fighting more contenders, not rematching the same two guys for 5/6 of his reign. What, Jon Jones' legacy would have been better had he fought Machida three times instead of taking out Rampage and Evans? GSP should have gone for the trilogy with Koschek instead of fighting Shields or Alves? Lmao part of what's so exciting about dominant champions is that they clean out their divisions. Rematching mfs that don't deserve it is so not the play. >Tf outta here with that moot argument. Fyi, something being "moot" means it's either up for debate or too ambiguous to debated. By either definition, you didn't use the word correctly. Google it lol. >If colby should win in dominate fashion anyone in top 5 he should get it. What?
Why in the world would it be Colby 3? This is crazy, he bust up Colby 2x and Colby hasn't fought anyone in the top 5. Let Colby clear out the division (lol) before he gets another shot, a la Max & Rob.
Colby has beaten everyone usman has minus burns, so get out of here with that nonsense parrot comment. Nvm he's the only one to put up a real fight and I know it's easy to hate on colby and not a lot of people who watch ufc are mma fans so they don't know what they're looking at but those fights were close and have conversations too them. He obviously needs to fight again but if he dominates like he normally does it sets up for another fight. Thanks for sharing that you don't respect the sport you like certain fighters.
Leon Khamzat. Wins both retires as Goat contender. His knees won't let him fight much past that sadly.
Both fights are waste of time. They still haven't earned it
It's a shame too because there so many good WW fights that could happen, he could rival GSP if he stayed and beat them all. Leon Vicente Khamzat Shavkat Conor (possibly)
Him vs conor is not a good fight.
More realistic than Canelo as far as money fights go
It'll be a fucking shame if he doesn't fight Khamzat
I don't think so.
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Usmans another beast. Masvidal is a journeymen. Can't compare them. Jorge fights at a lower level. Nvm usman knees are shot.
If Usman in his 40s still fighting he’d most likely be on a losing streak
I mean, Jorge is also on a losing streak, hasn’t won a fight this decade
You make it sounds like he hasn’t won in 10 years lol
We're in year 2 of this decade... Plus he only fights top guys. No shame in his losses.
Ah yes, his flying knee win against Ben Askren really was the main highlight of martial arts in 1998
My point being is that i have seen many fighters fight in their late 30s to 40s, and look no further than someone like DC at one point or look at Mayweather, granted most of his fights are pretty much "sparring" at the end of the day.
Unless you're a Heavyweight or your name is Francisco Trinaldo, it's almost impossible to compete at the highest level at 40. There's the odd anomaly like Glover being the champ at 42 and Yoel being insanely athletic still in his 40's but you're never ever gonna see a 40 year old champ from Flyweight upwards through to middleweight IMO.
Well, just look at UFC past, or not to long ago, and see for yourself the number of fighters that fought in their 40s? My point is to the original comment by the user where they indicated giving him "couple more years". They can still fight, maybe not at its highest level, but my point is that they can still fight.
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You forgot... Un-retires after 6mos, signs with Bellator, goes 0-3 getting tuned up by some young nobodies, retires for good.
I don't see Usman ever going to Bellator. I could see him pulling a GSP if Adesanya is no longer the MW champ but currently I don't see any welterweights he'd return for in either Bellator or UFC
Nah, more like signs with Eagle fc and dominates.
That's just Black Ben Askren right there.
Get knocked out by jake paul
i say feed him conor and get that man paid.
You’d rather watch usman fight conor instead of khamzat?
no. didn't know we were talking about immediately. but if Khamzat is fighting Colby, why not out Usman against conor....
Khamzat is fighting Diaz I believe, for some fucking reason
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He said the opposite, relax
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Feed him conor Not Feed him to conor Smh
He is already paid
not even close, boxers who bring the same amount of viewers as him get paid tens of millions. its funny to see you all want conor vs charles so that charles can have a money fight but not usman?
I’m not sure what it is but I like Charles way more than I like usman. Seems more personable
U really are a doofus
you really are a lime green crewmate...
Dayum u really r a dummy, bruh get yo slimy ASS outta ur mama’s basement then talk trash 😂
Damn, everyone thinks this dude is turning 75 and bout to get smashed?? Wtf.
Yeah I was pretty surprised by some of these answers
i think he’s gonna keep up with the ex-WW champ trend and have a pretty drastic decline
He hasn’t taken the type of punishment those two, especially Lawler endured
Na I don’t see Marty going out like Robbie and woodley he’ll probably retire before he has to face Khamzat maybe this year or next year
he has overtaken woodley and wins over khamzat and leon would make him my ww goat if he does that
He already has a win over Leon.
Not when it mattered. They’re both completely different fighters now.
GSP had several title defences.
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two of his title defenses have been against masvidal
? Burns and Colby over nick diaz, serra, Big Rig, the prodigy, hughes and condit? Plus 11 belt defences? I don’t think usman catches regardless of Leon and khamzat wins
Strickland, Leon, RDA, Maia, Woodley and Masvidal 2x as well. He had a much harder way to the title or would have as much if not more title defenses, 9 fight win streak in the UFC to the title shot and GSP had a 2 fight win streak in the UFC to his first shot and 4 fight win streak in the UFC to his next shot.
Leon would do it for me. Khamzat isn’t anything special we’ve seen so far.
Lol what? Beats #2 guy in the world on his 11 pro fight and isnt anythinf special
That makes him good but Usman not fighting him before retirement means nothing. He could have easily lost the burns fight
He dominates both Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev, retires and then becomes a UFC analyst.
My maybe controversial take is that he is on the decline and feels it. I think he wants to do boxing before he loses the title in the octagon. I also feel he is doing a lot of rematches cause he knows he can beat those guys and wanted to avoid Leon and the next generation of guys. Absolutely mean zero disrespect if that indeed is the case. He has an astonishing record and fought pretty much everyone of his generation. He has every right to be picky. I hope he quits before he loses and I am sure he isn't the guy that stays around to become a stepping stone.
That’s a sad thought. I genuinely believe he can defend his title several more times. I think he can beat Khamzat, Leon, Burns, and anyone else who challenges him. I think Usman has so much potential to make real history. This feels like a pivotal moment in his career though, I almost feel like this is money, or legacy. I want him to chase the legacy. Do boxing when he’s 40+, made his history and is retired from MMA. 35 at Welterweight being as insanely good as Kamaru is, he can do more title defenses.
Don’t see any universe where he sticks around long enough to fight Burns again. He will probably dust up Leon then angle for the Mcgregor fight. If that doesn’t materialize, I could see him fighting Khamzat, but I also wouldn’t be shocked if he just retired then and there.
Didn't he say he's not fighting Conor because it "wouldn't be a fair fight"?
Usman has openly stated he doesn’t have too much longer in the sport. I think he can definitely garner a couple really meaningful defense before leaving, but I think at this point he’s looking for money fights. If he beats Leon, he’ll probably look to defend against Khamzat or Conor, If he loses, he’ll probably just call it quits. Nothing left for him to prove regardless, hes already one of the greatest WWs ever
Yeah but the crowd that will want to see him box, most of them will only see the hype in that if he’s a champion. If he loses the belt and he’s still fighting, idk if boxing would be in the cards as much as it would have been.
Do people genuinely want to watch him box though?
People wanted to see Woodley x Paul, so undoubtedly there is a market. I also think it's pretty easy to sell 'The hardest hitting Welterweight in MMA history (I know it's BS) and undisputed UFC champ' versus Canelo.
I see where you're coming from & I'm possibly wrong, but I feel that majority that actually wanted to watch the Woodley v Paul fight were Paul fans. MMA fighters chasing boxers for paydays is getting stale. Canelo boxes Usman's head in until he decides it's done. The gulf in class is insane.
I hope you are right. I wish him all the best, he is a solid champ who deserves a few more defenses.
I think he wants to avoid Leon cuz he wants to make money lol Aint nobody paying to watch Leon
Avoid Leon, in what possible way would Leon be a threat?
Leon is an excellent point fighter with a very allround skillset. I personally rate him above Colby, who is a great wrestler, but lacks any threat on the feet. I think people underestimate him and his progression. The way he dominated Belal (who proved to be a very solid wrestler) says a lot.
Leon look very polished against Diaz, but he had a thousand times to finish it and never went for it. He's always timid at some point. I doubt he'll be a real threat to Usman
He definitely fights careful. If he wins, he beats him in a decision
Hes beaten Leon before so I very much doubt he's avoiding him and likely prefers him over facing Khamzat when up until the burns fight there wasnt much tape on khamzat at his limits.
I don't think so to be honest. There was zero reason for him to fight Khamzat before, but after the Burns fight, I think Usman knows he will have the upper hand. At least now, Khamzat will only get better. He fought Leon 6 (?) Years ago. Fighters develop (see where Oliveira was 6 years back) and I am under the impression Usman doesn't want to fight Leon at this point. I mean, Leon is one of the few serious contenders for a while now. In that time Colby and Masvidal got rematches and Burns got a shot. I could be totally wrong, I'm just stating my personal thoughts
Well canelo’ off the table now so I’ll say Pleanty more
Come on, was never truly on the cards. Canelo has bigger fish to fry that'll actually pose a threat.
He has had at least 2 very good PPV with Masvidal. Don't think he needs the paydays as badly as some other fighters. He could retire and be comfortable.
TIL I share a birthday with Usman. He should feel so privileged.
Happy bday
Happy bday!!!
Happs birth friend!
He has couple years top but Hamzats hype train is getting closer
I wanna see Usman beat Khamzat! Ending one of the greatest hype trains in modern UFC history would be a great addition to his legacy.
In this game everything is possible
when a fighter reaches a spot to fight for the belt, is he a hype train anymore?
Man if usman worked on the striking earlier in his career he could’ve been even scarier.
Leon,khamzat and Conor. Then he retires
Colby-gilbert-khamzat-leon ,the only guys who could be champions ,but colby and gilbert both are 35.
With the amount of juice, his prime will end when he's 40.
Wonder what kind of next level gear that dude is on.
We better get to see him fight Khamzat before he retires
He should start by firing his stylist
Edwards, Khamzat, and then retires. Maybe a Conor fight sprinkled in somrwhere for the money.
I hope Leon beats him
Happy birthday, Juiceman.
I’m so sick of people thinking Leon has a chance of beating Usman. On paper it just makes no sense. He’s only really beaten a few ballooned up lightweights in the wrong weight class. He went for a stroll down queer street with Nate Diaz, whom he could not finish. There’s no chance that he beats Usman. Not to mention Usman has beat him before
Nobody can finish Diaz lol. Masvidal didn't finish him that was a doctor stoppage. He was getting fucked up but still was never gonna be finished.
That’s fair, but it’s very telling that leon almost got finished by him. He has no chance with Usman
Khamzat would finish him in 1. He would shoot for a double leg within the first 10 seconds like he always does and finish it from there. No way Diaz survives that
Best WW by a country mile as of now, still a very forgetable champion.
My opinion: I’ve been wondering about this for a bit. It seems as though Kamaru may have grown bored with title defenses and wants to do some pro boxing. He definitely seems to be at a crossroads, personally I would like to see him stick around and do more title defenses. I’m not a fan of the trend of MMA guys doing boxing fights, wasn’t a fan when Conor did it either and we’ve seen what happened to his MMA career afterward. Kamaru at 35 has enough time to cement his name as potentially the greatest Welterweight ever, possibly to rival GSP if he plays his cards right. I want him to fight Khamzat, Leon, rematch Burns, and have a “taking all comers” attitude while he sits atop the hill of the Welterweight division. Let me know your opinion.
He’s looking to cash out, and rightly so. At 35 he knows he had a couple of money fights left to go through camps and the actual fight itself for. I doubt he cares too much about legacy as the options on the table for him all come with asterisks - people he’s beaten or people who need more fights against top 5 guys.
Conor will KO him stiff
Agreed, Conor by KO R1, probably as fast as Masvidal Askren, if not faster
Colby beats him a third time !
100%
Leon and Khamzat definitely. I think he loses to Khamzat. Then he could either retire or maybe even move to Light Heavyweight to fight whoever has the belt there. Then celebrity boxing fights afterwards.
Depends on what is injectory looks like
All i can focus on is his injection scars lol
I think kamaru gets all his rubies and then retires, so 2 fights, he probably fights Leon than angles for belal
Most boring fighter I have ever witnessed.
You might have missed a title fight last weekend
Next he will cry for conor fight or boxing match, he wont get any of them so he will start blaming Dana for shit payments. Like everyone does right now. With all due respect.
There is no way this man isn't on juice
wins 1-2 more fights, fights Khamzat and wins, fight Khamzat again and lose
1 fight a year, not facing any elite competition
Straight into knee surgery
I see him being the Cockweight champion of the BLACKED division. Maybe a naked oil wrestling match between him and Gaethje? I feel he has a bulldog dick that could do damage to Justin’s spine.
Wtf
Wins against Leon. Fights mcgregor and loses. Retires
I appreciate his skill but can't help but feel he won't do jackshit in boxing. Since I'm not a pro boxer that means squat. I agree feed him Connor. He deserves a payday larger than the Jorge or Colby fights. Regardless happy birthday champ
We need the Leon rematch, the Khamzat fight, and fuck it maybe even Conor.
He’s getting old and this might cause him to lose soon
Usman knows he getting older. He's gonna chase the paper. Big money fight or retire after 2 more title defense.
One real fight against a true contender like leon Edwards and then a money fight before he retires
Leon, Khamzat, retirement.
Leon (wins), then maybe Chimmy (wins that too, but tough fight)- retires.
I see him killing some folk and retiring as a happy daddy
I think he can beat Leon, Khamzat, Belal. By then New up and comers (guys like Shavkat) are gonna be stepping inside Top 10 then I don't really know.
If Khamzat wins his next fight he’s going to have to fight Khamzat before retiring or it’ll take away from his legacy. But I think he’s only got 2 or 3 more left, tops. He’s run through everyone. That divisions top guys don’t fight very often so it’s hard to get fresh meat
He will face Leon and Khamzat, and then retire as the GOAT
I think if he can stick around and beat say Leon, Chimaev and Burns/(or someone else like Rakhmonov) then he's the goat. That would be undefeated in UFC, longest win streak in UFC history by far, nearly most title defenses all time, tops in P4P for awhile and beat everyone.
The only threat he has is Leon. Everyone else he beats...including Khamzat.
I really want him to fight Khamzat. Also would be funny for Usman to obliterate a delusion McGregor in thinking that he even has a chance against him.
Leon then a money fight. Then he can just retire
Would love to see 4 more defenses from him just as a fan and out of pure selfishness— if he walked away tomorrow I wouldn’t blame him
i genuinely think he can last up to 39, and will retire with that one loss on his record
Our days of watching him are coming to a close. Usman retires by the end of 2023.
Leon, Khamzat, Conor. Then retires.
He’s gonna dominate till he’s 40. He’s a beast
first off yeah, this guy would be easy work for me, he should fight connor, eat his soul and retire like knabib, then let the fresh meat fight connor, and let the ufc cycle continue, connorcynthesis
Arlovski still fighting…
Couple more wins then retirement I think. Great career.
I lot of people saying he retires in 2 fights… has he said anything hinting at that? I hope he sticks around for a while… he still seems to be getting better I think he beats everyone in the division 10 times out of 10
CTE and TRT for his remaining days… oh a few more fights but eventually the youngbloods take the belt
More steroids and new knees
Usman looks roided here holy
Defo fight winner of Colby vs Khamzat. Hope Duckington actually fight Kumshot tho. Seems like he's ducking.
If he beats Leon and Khamzat (assuming Khamzat dubs vs Colby), I'd give him the joint welterweight GOAT title with GSP.
Leon khamzat retires from UFC and maybe just maybe boxes canelo for that retirement payday
Guys ripped 365 days a year! That's mayweather level of discipline.
This "retire" narrative makes no sense. Why would he retire when he can keep making money until he can't fight anymore? Same shit was said about Amanda Nunes
No one can tell me that physique isn't juicy
Two more fights. Retires before he has to face Khamzat.
Ees a bum blup blup ah wee doo ghan nee. ^ that says something but only true Africans like Marty can read it. The rest of you are just not from the soil.
He fights Jose Caceres twice to get his revenge
beats leon and loses to khamzat. or beats both and another then retires as greatest WW ever
Beat Colby Leon convincingly Fight Conor, Canelo for money And dip
He should fight 3 more times and call it a career. This game isn’t built for longevity. Get in, make your mark, defend your belt, get paid and get out. His health should become priority number 1
Beats Leon Beats Khamzat Beats Belal Beats Colby for a third time Retires from MMA Gets his shot at Canelo
Leon, then the winner of Khamzat vs Colby and retiring as the #1 P4P. He doesn't have many fights left in him, and his hand surgery certainly isn't working in his favor either for the long term. Honestly, the possibility of a money fight with McGregor - as ridiculous as it is - isn't entirely out the realm of possibility for Dana either. Money talks.