Efter att ha knockat Jorge Masvidal vid förra månadens UFC 261 har regerande UFC-welterviktsmästaren Kamaru Usman i princip avverkat divisionen. Med segrar över Masvidal, Colby Covington och Gilbert Burns är Usman nu öppen för andra utmanare än de redan besegrade. Mästarens manager hävdar nu att Usman känner för att möta Michael Chiesa.
Vill möta Michael Chiesa
Även om Usman sagt sig vara intresserad att möta återvändande Nick Diaz men nu hävdar managern Ali Abdelaziz att man nu riktat in sig på ett möte med Michael Chiesa redan vid junis UFC 263:
Kamaru in the last 10 months fought three times, Colby in the last three years, fought three times. After Kamaru destroyed his jaw and disfigured his face, Kamaru went and fought three times, defend against very tough opponents. He (Colby Covington) went and fought Woodley, the guy is not even in the UFC anymore, he’s 40-years-old and beat him. Maybe Colby Covington is good for business, who cares. Chiesa, four-fight winning streak, Vicente Luque three-fight winning streak, Leon Edwards, nine-fight winning streak? Why (is) Colby Covington so special? What about Kamaru, if Marvin Vettori beats Israel Adesanya, why (doesn’t) Kamaru go up and fight Marvin Vettori for the middleweight title?
Listen, Kamaru earned every right to do what he wants right now. But, we are respectful to Dana and his wishes and we are going to work together regardless,” Abdelaziz continued about Usman wanting to fight right away. “We will make it happen. Kamaru called me yesterday, he said June 12, let’s do Michael Chiesa. He asked me who had the longest winning streak in the division in the top five or six, I said Chiesa, he said June 12, (Chiesa) doesn’t have a fight. It doesn’t really matter who. He said let’s do Michael Chiesa, ask the UFC if I can fight on June 12. I told the UFC, Kamaru can fight three more times this year.
Covington har varit den väntade motståndaren
Många hade väntat sig att Usman skulle möta Colby Covington härnäst. Herrarna gick en underhållande match år 2019 där mästaren till slut knockade den senare i sista ronden. Matchen har setts som den självklaraste men frågan är nu om Covington får vänta än längre.
