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USMAN HINTS AT MAMMOTH 30LB WEIGHT GAIN TO TAKE ON BLACHOWICZ

Having been declared the greatest welterweight in MMA history, fight fans may only have a short amount of time left to enjoy the performances of Kamaru Usman in the 170lb division.

The honour of best welterweight was bestowed upon him by Dana White, who believes that the class of 2022 is as strong as it has ever been, hence the status of Usman, who has a perfect 13-0 record in the UFC. He will put that on the line against Leon Edwards at UFC 278, who himself has put together an unbeaten 9-0 record since losing to Usman in their first encounter back in 2015.

Although Usman is considered to be many pundits' pound-for-pound best in the business, the champion would do very well to not overlook ‘Rocky’, whose wrestling prowess also cannot be questioned.

However, Usman is already considering his next career move and it’s one that would require him to make significant changes to his training and dietary regime.

The Nigerian Nightmare was photographed over the weekend in a face-off with Jan Blachowicz, the former light-heavyweight champion. It may well have been a worked photoshoot, but it certainly sets the scene nicely for a future scrap at 205lb that would require Usman to gain around 30lb in weight just to match up with the Polish fighter.

Standing 6ft tall, Usman is already pushing the limit at 170lb, and a step up in weight was always likely. But that has been complicated by the dominance of his good friend Israel Adesanya at middleweight, with both confirming that they will never meet inside the Octagon.

The other possibility would be for Adesanya to step up to light-heavyweight and vacate his middleweight title, which would allow Usman to chase his dream of becoming a multi-weight champion. However, ‘The Last Stylebender’ was schooled by Blachowicz in his sole start at 205lb, and so he might be reluctant to make the step up again.

Defeat or Repeat?

Seven years in MMA is a veritable lifetime. It’s fair to say all of our lives have changed markedly in that time, while the careers of Usman and Edwards have also taken rather different turns.

It was in 2015 that they first met as relative rookies in the UFC, with the Nigerian claiming a unanimous points victory over the Englishman in his debut showing with the franchise. Both have matured as fighters since and grown physically, and neither man has been beaten since that encounter seven years ago.

For the first time in 7 years, @Usman84kg & @Leon_EdwardsMMA face-to-face ???? #UFC278 pic.twitter.com/dGr0hMgBGF

— UFC (@ufc) July 1, 2022

Usman’s rise has been well documented, but Edwards’ ascent to main challenger status in the welterweight division has taken a rather circuitous route – a nearly two-year hiatus, with his comeback fight against Belal Muhammad ruined by an accidental poke in the eye.

The 30-year-old has more to prove, for sure, and his victory over Nate Diaz at UFC 263 a year ago posed as many questions as it did answers. Edwards showcased his sublime wrestling skills to control the bout, but he appeared to gas in the final stages and that allowed Diaz to land some clubbing blows. In the end, the Brit was just about able to cling on to victory.

Nonetheless, it’s a fight that may have done some long-lasting damage to Edwards, and he won’t find Usman in a forgiving mood on August 21. The 35-year-old is a former NCAA champion in wrestling and a black belt in jiu-jitsu, but lately, he has found a love for striking. Three of his last five wins have come via KO or TKO.

Usman is the clear 2/5 favourite with the bookmakers to win the fight against Edwards, according to the UFC 278 odds, and it really is hard to argue with that if the Englishman showcases any of the physical or mental scars left from his war with Diaz.

The champion dominated their first fight on the ground, and given his improvement since it’s hard to see a way in which Edwards can turn the tables, he is not a noted striker, by any means. Then Usman will have his sights set on dominating a second-weight division: the UFC has been put on notice.

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