Kamaru Usman defends his UFC welterweight title in opposition to Gilbert Burns at UFC 258 this weekend.
The Nigerian Nightmare is 17-1 in his MMA profession and 11-Zero within the UFC, whereas this might be his third defence of his welterweight crown having dispatched of Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal so far.
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Nevertheless, Burns is a coaching associate of Usman’s and represents a unique sort of problem.
En path to the championship, Usman was the person quite a lot of the ranked fighters wished to keep away from. However now he sits atop of the division and plenty of are questioning who can be subsequent if he can overcome Burns.
Leon Edwards is in that dialogue. The Brit has received eight in a row in UFC together with his final loss really coming to Usman manner again in 2015.
He takes on Khamzat Chimaev – lastly – on March 13 and if he wins, Usman thinks he deserves the subsequent shot.
“It relies upon, it relies upon although,” Usman instructed BT Sport when requested if Edwards is subsequent. “I’ve myself in charge for this; beating just about all people in that high ten, now guys can just about win only one struggle in opposition to one ranked opponent and he would possibly get a title shot.
“Or, Leon has been on a roll knocking off guys right here, right here and right here and naturally, if Leon goes out and wins impressively [against Khamzat Chimaev] completely I imagine he deserves a shot. We’ll see what occurs with that.”
Jorge Masvidal is one other title that retains cropping up. Gamebred went the gap with Usman on solely six days discover and plenty of really feel – together with Masvidal himself – the struggle can be very totally different if he had a full coaching camp.
Usman, nevertheless, doesn’t see it that manner. In reality, he sees it fairly the alternative.
“Proper now, I’m actually simply targeted on Gilbert [Burns]. As a result of there is no such thing as a clear-cut man standing on the market that’s like hey, I’m the subsequent man. I’m the subsequent man. There is no such thing as a clear-cut man.
“We’ll see. If it’s Edwards, then it’s Edwards. If it’s Masvidal once more, he appeared to be working with that excuse, he ran with that excuse! ‘Oh, I took the struggle on six days discover. I wasn’t coaching.’
“I might like to see what he has totally different with a full camp as a result of I actually imagine it’ll be worse with a full camp. It was higher for him simply taking that struggle ons ix days discover.
“With a full camp I feel it’ll be manner worse for him. So it may very well be him, you by no means know.”
