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Kamaru Usman recently confirmed that he intends to return to the octagon and that his career is not over yet. He noted that he took time off, but is motivated to regain his status as a pound-for-pound great.
The former welterweight champion last competed against Khamzat Chimaev in a middleweight bout at UFC 294 this past October. Despite accepting the fight on short notice and having to fly to Abu Dhabi, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' put on a valiant effort and lost a majority decision. The MMA community heaped praise on Usman, with many noting that they believe he would have won the fight had it been contested as a five round bout.
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During a recent episode of his Pound 4 Pound podcast, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' disclosed that he is still capable of competing at a very high level. Usman mentioned that he intends to return and make a statement in the octagon when he does. He said:
"Like I said, the boogeyman is on sabbatical right now, that's all it is. You know, I still got tread left in these tires and I'm still gonna show that I am one of the best, if not the best in the world."
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Check out Kamaru Usman's comments below:
Kamaru Usman sheds light on talented UFC welterweight division
It still remains unclear who the UFC will match Kamaru Usman up with when he makes his octagon return, the former welterweight champion did shed light on the depth of the 170-pound division.
During the aforementioned clip, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' mentioned that there are plenty of exciting options at the moment whether it be a rematch against Leon Edwards or even an opponent he hasn't fought before. He said:
"Whether it's fighting Leon [Edwards] or Belal Muhammad, it doesn't really matter. There's a lot of guys in that division right now that are exciting. You've got myself...'JDM'...Shavkat [Rakhmonov]...'MVP'...Ian Garry...Gilbert [Burns] is still there...Colby Covington is still there...Vicente Luque is still there. There's a lot of exciting guys that are still in that division."
Check out Kamaru Usman's training photos below:
