October 17, (THEWILL) – Kamaru Usman has admitted he could not turn down the “opportunity to do something monumental” when he agreed to move up to middleweight and replace the injured Paulo Costa against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi this weekend.
The former welterweight champion is taking a huge risk by accepting the short-notice fight against the feared Chimaev. However, he believes defeating one of the UFC’s hottest prospects on just 11 days’ notice would represent one of the biggest accomplishments of his illustrious career.
Usman had previously resisted moving up to 185lbs while Israel Adesanya reigned as champion. However, with Adesanya out of contention, Usman sees a vacant middleweight belt that he can “keep warm” before a potential blockbuster showdown with Adesanya further down the line.
The Nigerian-American is coming off back-to-back losses for the first time in his career after dropping his title in stunning fashion against Leon Edwards last year. However, no longer carrying the welterweight belt has allowed Usman to “fall in love with the sport again” and re-focus on displaying his elite skills.
Usman has warned Chimaev that he could be in for a quick night if he has not done his homework. Yet, he insists he is not underestimating the challenge posed by the undefeated Swede, who he describes as “as advertised” and deserving of “all the respect in the world”.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
