"I smell fear" - MMA X reacts as Kamaru Usman turns down rumored short notice fight against Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310

Kamaru Usman's reservations about facing the unbeaten Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 for interim welterweight gold have been noted. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' feels that the time between then and now is not enough for him to prepare adequately for the monumental showdown.

UFC 310 is set for Dec. 7, which is less than a month away. If he is to fight Rakhmonov, Usman prefers more optimal circumstances. So, while he regards the bout as winnable, he just isn't ready to risk a fight that could set him up for an undisputed title fight with Belal Muhammad by being underprepared.

"To be honest, it's a fight that I've looked at and I know it's definitely a very, very winnable fight. And I know that I can, of all people, go out there and expose what hasn't been exposed in a young, hungry, streaky guy in Shavkat Rakhmonov. He's very talented, he's very, very good, but I do see the holes and I think that I can exploit that when the time is right. But December 7th might be a little too early for that time."

Check out Kamaru Usman's thoughts on facing Shavkat Rakhmonov:

Naturally, Usman's words have gained notice, spreading like wildfire on social media. X/Twitter, in particular, has seen a wave of fans react to his statement, with some accusing the former welterweight champion of deliberately avoiding the undefeated Kazakh for one reason or another.

One fan claimed that Usman, in his prime, would have already accepted the bout.

"Prime Usman would've been ready to take the fight on 1 week notice"

Another fan, however, accused Usman of being fearful.

"I smell fear."

Others called on Colby Covington to take the fight.

"Somebody call Colby"

Some even criticized Usman.

"KAMARU STOP"

A collage of fan reactions can be seen below:

Fan reactions to Usman's thoughts on fighting on short notice

For now, though, UFC 310 remains without a replacement headliner, but Rakhmonov remains ready and willing to fight anyone.

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Kamaru Usman's last fight was on short notice

At UFC 294, Kamaru Usman stepped in on just 10 days' notice to face Khamzat Chimaev at middleweight after Paulo Costa withdrew from the bout. Round one saw Usman get outwrestled in dominant fashion.

Check out the judges' decision at UFC 294:

However, rounds two and three were more competitive, with Usman having the edge on the feet. Ultimately, he lost via majority decision but gave a good account of himself.