Kamaru Usman has enjoyed a lengthy reign as UFC champion before, and he’d like to experience that feeling one more time before it’s all said and done.
Not only that, but Usman would also like to conquer an entirely new division. The former welterweight champion declared in a YouTube vlog that one of his goals as he enters the final fights of his career is to claim the 170-pound title again and then move up to 185 pounds for one more championship opportunity.
“In this part of my career, it’s the dream scenario is next fight, win the welterweight title,” Usman said. “Vacate. Win the middleweight title. Retire. Just boom boom, one, two, and then be done. Because you can’t top that. What else do I want?”
Usman owns one of the most successful runs in UFC history, having won his first 15 fights for the promotion after making his debut in 2015. He defeated Tyron Woodley for the welterweight title at UFC 235 and went on to record five consecutive title defenses. After losing the belt to rival Leon Edwards and then again falling to Edwards in a rematch, Usman made a brief move up to middleweight on short notice to fight Khamzat Chimaev, resulting in his third straight loss. He recently snapped that losing streak by defeating Joaquin Buckley this past June.
The 38-year-old was asked about his mindset going into fights at this stage of his career, and he explained how his motivation has changed.
“Absolutely, you’re thinking about the fight,” Usman said. “When you’re going into the fight, it’s not so much I’m afraid of being hurt. ‘I’m afraid this guy might hurt me.’ No, you’re not afraid of that anymore. It’s crazy how the whole point of it is you’re afraid of losing. Like, man, I did all this work, I can’t lose. I can’t lose. That becomes the fear, which ultimately can either hinder you or actually put you in a place where you perform to greater than your expectations.”
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