"He never got this break" - Kamaru Usman's manager gives major update on health and likely comeback date

Kamaru Usman's manager Ali Abdelaziz has revealed that the former welterweight champion will be ready to return to the octagon in December.

Usman last stepped into the cage back in March when he unsuccessfully attempted to reclaim the 170-pound title. He and Leon Edwards fought out a close contest that saw the Brit retain the title, having previously stunned the world with his head kick KO victory over 'The Nigerian Nightmare' the previous year.

Following his second loss in a row to Edwards, Usman opted to take some time away from the sport in order to rest and recover from injuries to both his hands and knees. Now, it looks as though the 36-year-old is back and raring to go.

Speaking to ESPN's Marc Raimondi, Abdelaziz confirmed that Usman will be competing once again before the end of the year. He said:

"Kamaru's fine, he's finally healthy and he's wealthy. November, December. I prefer December. He's smiling, his body is listening well. He never got this break before... The real draw in the division is Kamaru Usman. He's the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world today. I put him in the top three with Islam Makhachev."

Regarding a potential opponent, Ali Abdelaziz added:

"One thing I know is, Kamaru is going to show up and make weight. Stephen Thompson is also going to have no excuse not to fight... These are two guys who fought in the same era and have never fought. Why not? Why not? He's a big enough name for people to care."

Catch Abdelaziz's comments here (7:05):

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Kamaru Usman wants to fight Stephen Thompson next

Kamaru Usman has stated he's open to facing Stephen Thompson on his octagon return.

'Wonderboy' is a former title challenger, narrowly missing out on the belt on two occasions against Tyron Woodley. It also looked as though the 40-year-old would once again challenge for the belt during Usman's reign, but losses to Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad derailed his run.

Now, with both men without the belt and getting on in years, a fight between the two may make more sense than ever before. Weighing in on the fight was Kamaru Usman, who spoke to TMZ Sports.

The former welterweight champion revealed that he's still deciding on an opponent but certainly wouldn't rule out a bout against Thompson. He said:

“He needs an opponent. Wonderboy’s just… He’s been around for so long and he’s just that name where it’s always a great fight, you know. His style is very difficult to fight and he’s one of those names that I never really got to when... He was in my era and I never really got to fight. So Wonderboy, I would definitely consider that."

Catch Usman's comments here (4:50):