Kamaru Usman Not Afraid to Take on Shavkhat Rakhmonov

Kamaru Usman still looks at himself as more of a potential champion than a gatekeeper. But the former UFC welterweight titleholder has many more doubters than believers these days. Usman, 37, is on a three-fight losing streak.

Usman hasn’t won a fight since he settled his rivalry with Colby Covington with a decision victory at UFC 268 in November 2021. Since then, Usman has only fought three times. Usman lost his belt in shocking fashion at UFC 278 when Leon Edwards stopped him in the final seconds with a head kick.

Now, Usman has to deal with some of the rising fighters attempting to build their legacy by beating him to improve their status. Shavkat Rakhmonov is viewed as one of the most dangerous potential contenders in the welterweight division.

Rumors have started to swirl that Usman may yet get paired off with Rakhmonov. People following MMAfighting latest news see that Usman has said he still has a desire to fight. It will be interesting to see for how long that passion burns.

Muhammad Thinks Fight Should Happen

Belal Muhammad is the current UFC welterweight champion. He’s mostly been viewed as a lightning rod. Many fans on the best MMA news site have criticized Muhammad’s fighting style for being too boring or too safe.

There are also some who take umbrage with his support of Palestine, but that has no relevance to fighting and won’t be discussed further in this format. There are a lot of people who don’t like Muhammad, some for professional reasons and others for his personal beliefs. It’s rare for the UFC to have a champion that seems to have a strong wave of dislike behind him.

Recently, Muhammad said on social media that he believes Usman and Rakhmonov should fight to be the No. 1 contender. It upset Usman, who is the No. 2 ranked contender and would like one more chance to reclaim the gold.

Does Usman Deserve Another Shot?

As things stand now, not really. There’s no doubting Usman’s bona fides. He successfully defended the belt five times during his reign as champion.

The MMA latest updates prove, however, that the last few years haven’t been up to his standard. Following the head-kick loss, Usman lost a rematch at UFC 286, which was a comfortable majority decision for Edwards. Then Usman went up to middleweight and had a close fight with Khamzat Chimaev.

Usman is sitting on a three-fight losing streak. Many of his peers appreciate the success he’s had in his career, but don’t think he should get a title shot after losing three straight fights.

Usman is desperate to get his career back on track. When fans look back at his long title reign, some people have started to poke holes in his title defenses. Four of Usman’s title defenses came against Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal.

Masvidal is mostly viewed as a journeyman who likely would have never gotten a title shot if he wasn’t willing to fly to Abu Dhabi at the last minute for UFC 251. Usman’s fights with Covington were entertaining, but Covington’s penchant for not fighting other top contenders has taken some shine from Usman’s wins over him.

Rakhmonov is the Boogeyman

Rakhmonov is a rarity in MMA. When the 29-year-old fighter made the leap from the regional scene to the UFC, there was almost no drop off in quality. While Rakhmonov has yet to face a former champion, he does have solid wins over respected veterans.

Rakhmonov won in December 2023 when he submitted former title challenger Stephen Thompson by submission in the second round. The MMA latest updates show that many fighters, including Muhammad, claim they aren’t afraid to fight Rakhmonov.

But people aren’t signing on the dotted line to fight him either. Rakhmonov is 19-0 in his career, and he has finished all 19 of his opponents. He is 6-0 in the UFC and has won five fights by submission and one by knockout.

What Does Usman Have Left Physically?

The perils of being an excellent amateur wrestler also usually mean a lot of stress and strain being put on your knees. Usman was a Division II national champion at the University of Nebraska Kearney. Having a grappling background gave him the versatility to make him a champion.

But the gradual buildup of injuries has limited his mobility and impacted his quality of life. During one of his podcasts, Joe Rogan said he had observed Usman walking mostly on grass because walking on concrete caused him too much pain.

Even with the surgeries Usman has had, there is not much relief that can be provided in the fight against the pain in his knees. Usman will need to find a way to handle that pain if he wants to keep fighting top guys.

Rakhmonov Could Use Another Test

In the case of most prospects, there needs to be a fight against another top contender or former legend to cement their status. While Rakhmonov feels ready to me, there are many people who would like to see him have a fight against someone like Usman. A win over a former champion, especially another submission or knockout win over a durable fighter, would do a lot to raise Rakhmonov’s profile even further.

With Rakhmonov being out of the news cycle since he last fought, it would be nice to see him come back and have another interesting fight. Expect Rakhmonov to push the envelope no matter who he fights. Rakhmonov is one of the interesting prospects the UFC has right now.

It will be interesting to see if he can be the next big crossover star for the promotion. He isn’t as flashy as Conor McGregor, but he has the skill to put on exciting fights every time out.

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By Dean McHugh.