Makhachev welcomes Usman fight, but avoids giving Nigerian a chance next

I. Makhachev and D. White during a ceremonial face-off at the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/X

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Back on the winning track, Kamaru Usman isn't afraid to make a splash in the welterweight division (up to 77,1kg) in an attempt to reclaim the belt he once held during a successful reign. After defeating Joaquin Buckley , the Nigerian has become one of the favorites to face the winner of Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev , which still has no set date.

Managed by Ali Abdelaziz, the same professional who manages the Russian's career, Usman wants to use this fact to facilitate eventual negotiations between the parties. Despite his intention, the fighter has been paying more attention to Makhachev, understanding that the athlete will be able to defeat the champion of the category next.

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Keeping an eye on the situation, Makhachev spoke openly about the matter, opening the doors for his colleague, but avoided saying that the Nigerian will in fact be his next opponent if he becomes welterweight champion.

Kamaru Usman is interested in facing Islam Makhachev (Photo: Montage/SUPER LUTAS)

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“I saw an interview, Kamaru said something. It’s going to be a tough fight, but it looks good. It’s a really big fight and, I don’t know. We’ll get the belt and we’ll see after the fight at the press conference and talk about it. But I don’t want to underestimate Della Maddalena at this point. He doesn’t need to wait too long. He can fight again, beat someone, make some money and stay on the waiting list,” Makhachev told MMA Junkie.

Jack Della Maddalena asked Dana White for a fight with Islam Makhachev . Photo: SUPER LUTAS montage

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No longer the lightweight champion (up to 70,3 kg), Makhachev is preparing to seek his second belt in his UFC career. Confident in his abilities, the fighter immediately relinquished the title of his former category after Della Maddalena became the new welterweight king. The athletes quickly reached an agreement and received positive approval from Dana White.

On the other hand, Usman still needs the goodwill of the governing body amidst the large number of prospects in the division. Currently ranked third, Shavkat Rakhmonov has already stated that he wants to fight for the title after recovering from an injury.

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