Getty Kamaru Usman & Canelo Alvarez
Reigning UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is the No. 1-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the promotion, and he’s ready for a clash with boxing’s No. 1, Canelo Alvarez.
Canelo is set to box Caleb Plant for all four major super-middleweight boxing titles on November 6, 2021. And on the same night, Usman will look to defend his 170-pound title against No. 1-ranked contender Colby Covington at UFC 268.
Both Canelo and “The Nigerian Nightmare” only have one loss on each of their respective records, and they’re currently at the height of their careers. And during the UFC 268 media day, Usman shared his interest in boxing Canelo. A win over the Mexican inside a boxing ring would further cement Usman as one of the greatest fighters ever.
“Since when have we ever seen the pound-for-pound mixed martial artist go up against the pound-for-pound boxer, both in their prime, not when they’re older or retired and you’re trying to pull them back. Both in their prime,” Usman said. ‘That’s what I’m looking to do. That’s something that scares me, that’s something that gets me up in the morning. That’s something that I might risk leaving my daughter for another 12 weeks for. We’ll see. That’s something that I’m looking at. And God willing, you know, this Saturday we do what we need to do, then why not?”
Usman, who fully expects to beat Covington on Saturday night, said he’ll look to pursue a boxing match with Canelo after UFC 268. Usman said he’ll work with the “pound-for-pound promoter,” UFC president Dana White, to make that happen.
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Usman Gives Thoughts About Fighting on the Same Night as Canelo
Usman and Canelo will go to war on Saturday night to see who gets more eyeballs on their respective fights, and ESPN’s Marc Raimondi asked The Nigerian Nightmare about that.
“We’ll see who does better,” Usman said. “We’re both in the business of entertainment nowadays. He’s got to entertain on the same night. So we will see who does better numbers. And then we’re going to sit there and now we’ll have a discussion with the pound-for-pound best promoter in the game, Dana White, and we’ll try to make something happen.”
Usman said that what he likes about the UFC president is that White abides by the “if it makes money, it makes sense” thought process. And Usman vs. Alvarez would likely be a blockbuster event.
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Usman Says Canelo Is a ‘Master’ at Boxing, Promises to Give Him a ‘Different Look’
During media day, Usman said that MMA fighters have to pursue boxers as boxers typically don’t want to transition into MMA. So that’s why if a fight ever happens between the two, it’ll be in a boxing ring.
“There’s a reason that scares me because you know, he’s a master of his craft,” Usman said. “He’s used to these boxers. He’s used to the boxing speed and the boxing movements, and things like that. We’re different. You know, sometimes different could be good. What’s wrong with giving him a different look? So, of course, it’s a tall tree to climb but you know, we saw what happened the last time I was an underdog.”
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