Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman (20-3 MMA) will not challenge Khamzat Chimaev (12-0 MMA) to his next fight, regardless of weight class, according to Dana White.
The UFC boss discussed the rumored fight in a recent interview with TSN’s Aaron Bronster prior to UFC 289 on Saturday night.
Dana White hasn’t decided who will be next for either man, as Usman takes a second straight loss to Leon Edwards in March. Meanwhile, Chimaev, who competed at welterweight and middleweight, took quick work of Kevin Holland in his last round at UFC 279, winning via first-round chokehold.
“No, it’s not true at all,” White said. “Bulls**t. We have a plan for Khamsat, and when we are ready to announce it, we will.”
As for Osman, White has been upfront about what could be next for him.
“I don’t know what Osman is going to do now,” said Dana White. Osman is still making some decisions, you know. He wants to fight Khamzat but he doesn’t want to fight for him [185]And I don’t.”
Quotes copied via MMA News And TSN.
The rumored fighting started to grow when Youtuber and content creator Adin Ross answered a question regarding an upcoming UFC event, confidently saying that Usman will fight Chimaev later this year, going so far as to say the bout will take place at Fight Island in Abu Dhabi (UFC 294 in October).
However, the welterweight division will go ahead as scheduled, and Edwards will likely face Covington in his second defense of the welterweight title. The fight did not have an associated venue or date at press time, as the UFC’s fall schedule is still in the works.
Usman has held the welterweight belt for over four years, defeating the likes of Tyron Woodley, Colby Covington (x2), Jorge Masvidal (x2) and Gilbert Burns, to name a few. Chimaev signed with the UFC in 2020 and has gone 4-0 in the promotion since then, with his most notable win coming against Burns in April 2022.
Who do you think will win in a potential fight, Kamaru Osman or Khamzat Chimaev?