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Each season, Dancing With the Stars gathers up celebrities from different industries, and athletes have always been a big part of the mix for the show. Now, UFC champion Kamaru Usman says he wants to be on DWTS, according to TMZ.
According to MMAFighting.com, Usman beat out Gilbert Burns at UFC 258 over the weekend and defended his welterweight title. That means Usman has beaten all of the top four contenders in his division.
Usman told TMZ Sports that he would definitely be interested in going on Dancing With the Stars.
Usman Believes He’s Earned a Spot on ‘Dancing With the Stars’
During the talk with TMZ Sports, Usman said he’s earned his spot on the show, and he believes he’d do a good job if he were to get cast.
“I do my thing!” he said. “I do my thing! That’s the thing with me, I understand that practice makes perfect and I’m disciplined enough to be able to train at it. So anything, if I need to work at it, do the moves, learn ’em, boom! I’m in there! I can get down.”
He added that he would love to bring home the Mirrorball trophy to place alongside his many UFC belts.
Usman Previously Said He Wanted to be on ‘The Bachelor’
According to TMZ, Usman previously told the outlet that he would love to be the first black Bachelor, but that ship has sailed.
“It’s a tough one now because with the controversy going on, now it kinda soils the name, you know?” he said.
The controversy Usman was referring to surrounds Chris Harrison and the cast of The Bachelor amid racism allegations and host Chris Harrison stepping down.
Usman would not be the first UFC fighter to compete on Dancing With the Stars, and he certainly wouldn’t be the first athlete to take home the mirrorball trophy if he got that far in the process. Chuck Liddell was on the show in 2009, and Paige VanZant was a contestant in 2016.
Who May be in the Ballroom in 2021?
Just a few celebrities have expressed interest in Dancing With the Stars for the upcoming season.
Following the season finale of The Bachelorette, Tayshia Adams expressed her interest in being on the show, according to Extra. The show has been Bachelorette-heavy recently, however, with two back-to-back winning seasons by Hannah Brown and Kaitlyn Bristowe, so it’s possible that the show will take a break from casting Bachelorettes for at least one season.
According to Showbiz CheatSheet, pro dancer Cheryl Burke called for producers to take a pause on casting members of Bachelor Nation after the back-to-back wins.
Another celebrity who has expressed interest in joining the cast is actor Alec Baldwin’s wife Hilaria Baldwin, who has been accused of faking her Spanish heritage, according to OK! magazine.
OK! Magazine reports that the show is looking for another controversial figure for the upcoming season, and they have reportedly looked at casting ex-White House Advisor and Donald Trump’s former campaign manager Kellyanne Conway. However, the report stated that there is uncertainty over whether she would be “too controversial” for the show.
“Some think that Kellyanne would be great,” the source told the outlet. “Others think she is too divisive for a show that appeals to both democrats and republicans.”
Banks is looking to bring ratings higher in upcoming seasons, so creating buzz around season 30 would be a good way for her to start.
“This isn’t about politics, this is about getting people to watch,” a source added.
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This UFC Champion Wants to Compete on ‘Dancing With the Stars’