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#2. Kamaru Usman should fight Adesanya because the pay-per-view would be successful
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Kamaru Usman is steadily becoming a UFC draw. While 'The Nigerian Nightmare' was criticized for only going '30%' early in his UFC tenure, that attitude has since changed. UFC president Dana White was critical of Usman before he captured gold. However, it appears the boss' tune has changed drastically since then.
Kamaru Usman cleared a respectable amount of pay-per-view buys in his second fight against Jorge Masvidal. The title bout was highly publicized. While many insiders pegged Usman as a big favorite, the second performance of 'The Nigerian Nightmare' exceeded expectations as Usman finished the fight in round two with an overhand right.
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Following two big victories against Masvidal, Usman's name appeared to be bigger than ever. After topping the pound-for-pound list in the UFC, Usman remained true to activity and entered a dangerous rematch against Colby Covington. Once again, Usman sent Covington packing. This time the result would come by a unanimous decision rather than a late-finish.
Kamaru Usman reportedly drew around a 700,000 buy-rate for the UFC 268 pay-per-view event against Colby Covington. With back-to-back fights pulling in some lucrative numbers, a fight against Adesanya would seemingly do similar, if not better, numbers. Fighting Israel Adesanya would make for one of Kamaru Usman's most lucrative ventures in the UFC yet.
#1. Kamaru Usman should fight Adesanya to match the accolades of Georges St. Pierre
Similar to Georges St. Pierre, Kamaru Usman will need to move up and face Adesanya if he is to challenge for the GOAT-worthy status held by GSP. With 9-title defenses racked up during his welterweight tenure, GSP not only picked up several championship victories but also avenged his only two losses.
GSP captured a second title in a heavier weight class. GSP returned 4 years after leaving the sport in 2013 to challenge then-middleweight champion Michael Bisping. Many were shocked in 2017 to see GSP attempting to move up in weight. It was a feat that Conor McGregor accomplished a year prior as well. Certainly, a superfight with Adesanya could also further propel Usman into superstardom.
A big part of Kamaru Usman's legacy will hinge on is whether he moves up in weight or not. While for some athletes the notion isn't even considered, for a fighter as dominant as Usman, fans will want to see him challenged outside of his comfort zone.
A fight against a friend like Israel Adesanya could prove difficult for Usman mentally. However, a title fight of such a huge magnitude would certainly bolster the names of both champions participating.
Just like GSP, if Kamaru Usman jumped up in weight successfully, his fighting abilities would be lauded indefinitely. Usman should move up in weight to cement his legacy as one of the best by fighting Israel Adesanya.
