Kamaru Usman is excited by the addition of Islam Makhachev to the UFC’s welterweight division.
Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) recently announced his intention to vacate the UFC lightweight title he has held since 2022 and move up to 170 pounds. Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC), who held the welterweight strap between 2019 and 2022, believes it’s the right move for the Dagestani to make.
“I love it…I love Islam coming up”, Usman said this week during an interview with Kevin Iole. “I would say at one point I probably would have been a little annoyed with it. But I'm older and I'm wiser now. And then at the same time, I love Islam, and you know, I really care for him. So if this was the decision that he wanted to make and chose to make, then I'm all for it. And as it pertains to me as a fighter? Yeah, I love it.”
While nothing has been announced, it’s expected that Makhachev will face current welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena (18-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) at some point later this year. Della Maddalena won the belt when he defeated Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 last month, and Usman believes a fight between the pair would be worth watching.
“I mean, he goes out there, Islam comes up. Yeah, he's absolutely…I believe he's next to challenge for that title as a champion going up”, Usman said. “You absolutely should get that opportunity if you're willing to vacate his belt like he did. I love it. I think him and Jack, I think that's a fantastic fight.
“I don't count Jack out. And that's the thing I don't want to say I hate. I guess it's part of the sport, but Jack is a very formidable opponent. Even before his last fight, I said, ‘this is a guy, you sleep on him, he will ruin your day’. And he went out there and he ruined Belal’s year. Not just his day. JDM is definitely no easy out for anybody. So it's not just a shoe-in. Islam's going to come in and get that belt. I do think Islam has the ability to do it, but it's not going to be easy.”
Usman is preparing to take on Joaquin Buckley in the main event at UFC Atlanta this Saturday night, and should both he and Makhachev emerge victorious, “The Nigerian Nightmare” believes a title fight between the pair further down the line would make sense.
“I mean, current pound-for-pound versus former pound-for-pound, I think that's a blockbuster. That would be a great outing to go out there and get another blockbuster before I sail off.”
