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Reigning UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman defended his belt for the fifth time earlier this month, and he still has one name at the top of the list of who he wants to fight.
“The Nigerian Nightmare” fought top-ranked welterweight Colby Covington in the main event of UFC 268 on November 6, 2021. It was a back-and-forth clash, but in the end, Usman got his hand raised via unanimous decision.
The 170-pound champion has a professional record of 20-1 and is currently ranked as the No.1 pound-for-pound mixed martial artist in the world. And if it’s up to Usman, he’ll compete against the No. 1 boxer in the world, Canelo Alvarez.
Alvarez, 57-1-2, is fresh off becoming the undisputed super middleweight champion by stopping Caleb Plant and taking his IBF title. Canelo earned the 11th-round TKO on the same night as Usman’s title defense against Covington.
During the UFC 268 fight week, Usman told the media that he wanted to box Canelo and prove he’s the pound-for-pound king.
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GettyKamaru Usman & Canelo Alvarez
And speaking with TMZ recently, he reaffirmed his stance.
“I’ve already said the name that interests me. Canelo,” Usman said via the outlet. “That’s what interests me.”
Usman was then asked to react to UFC president Dana White’s comments, saying at the UFC 268 post-fight presser that The Nigerian Nightmare doesn’t actually want to fight Canelo because of how great the boxer is.
“That’s Dana, but I’m fighting,” Usman told TMZ. “Dana’s boss man, but I’m the one who’s fighting.”
And even though Usman hasn’t competed as a boxer, he believes he can get the job done.
“If I don’t believe in myself, then why would I do it?” Usman continued. “Of course I believe in myself. He’s amazing. He’s amazing. I’m not taking nothing away from him. But, how often does someone get to test themselves against the best?”
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Boxing Canelo ‘Scares’ Usman
During the UFC 268 media day, Usman opened up about boxing Canelo, and how it “scares” him, which in turn, also excites him.
“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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Usman Continued About Canelo
During media day, Usman continued about Canelo:
“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?”
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