Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is still on the sidelines considering his next move, but he has ruled out a possible fight against former light heavyweight champion, Jan Blachowicz.
Over a year ago when Kamaru Usman was still the welterweight champion, he and Jan Blachowicz faced off backstage at UFC 276, with them both hinting at a possible fight. Usman was toying with the decision of moving up two weight classes to try and become a double champion.
A month prior, Blachowicz lost his 205lb title against Jiri Prochazka, and even ‘BJP’ relished the idea of Usman moving up to the weight class.
Despite that, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ went on to lose his 170lb title against Leon Edwards at UFC 278, and was unable to reclaim it in a rematch at UFC 286.
Jan Blachowicz still open to a matchup against Usman
Although neither of them holds the belt in their respective divisions anymore, there is still interest on the side of Blachowicz.
Recently on his Pound 4 Pound podcast with Henry Cejudo, Usman revisited the face-off he had with the Pole stating that he still believes his style favored him in a matchup against the 205lber.
“I was thick on him, I’m telling you. See this is the thing, I wouldn’t have called for 205lbs unless I didn’t think at that point that the style favored me and I could do it. You wear someone down enough and he might make me look like Mike Tyson,” Usman claimed.
After the 37-year-old revisited the discussion, this drew a response out of Blachowicz, who called for the fight to finally happen.
“If you still feel the same about it (Kamaru Usman), let’s go. I will be ready,” the 41-year-old stated on X.
- DO THE RIGHT THING: Sean Strickland slams the UFC over fighter pay ahead of big UFC 302 fight
Kamaru Usman rejects the offer, claiming the ship has sailed
Even though the former welterweight champion is currently sat on the sidelines without an opponent, he turned down Blachowicz’s offer, claiming that the fight no longer makes any sense, as they’re both without a title.
“I’m no longer the champion, he’s no longer the champion so that fight makes absolutely no sense, it does nothing for me. If I go up there and I beat Jan Blachowicz, what does that do for me? Nothing, it’s just another paycheck.
“So you know, Jan big respect you big, strong, tough guy, I will happily decline at this moment,” Usman said on his recent Pound 4 Pound episode.
Usman’s last fight came against Khamzat Chimaev in October last year in what was his UFC middleweight debut, and it is still unclear whether he is planning on sticking at 185lbs or whether he will return to 170lbs.
- INFECTED: Conor McGregor goes off on Islam Makhachev’s team as he makes observation ahead of UFC 302