Kamaru Usman Calls Out Disrespectful UFC Fans

Usman believes UFC fans start to forget fighters' achievements once they lose.

Mathew Riddle | Aug 27, 2024

Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

It's no secret that Kamaru Usman has fallen from grace since his reign of terror in the UFC welterweight division.

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Usman once held and defended the welterweight title five times, and was crowned as one of the most active champions in the modern era of UFC. This came crashing down when Leon Edwards knocked him out with a head kick in their rematch at UFC 278, and Usman has since lost two more: Once to Edwards in a trilogy, and again to Khamzat Chimaev on short notice at UFC 294.

Usman: People Start to Forget Just How Good You Are

With three losses in a row, it's easy to speculate that Usman might have lost his edge. Though, according to the former champion, it isn't that simple, and fans are 'direspectful' for jumping to conclusions:

"For a long time there ... I didn't care what I was going through; I didn't care what I was dealing with; I didn't care what I was battling, physically, mentally, emotionally. It didn't matter to me, I was gonna jump in there and perform," Usman told Weighing In on August 26.

"... You stack up all these injuries over time, and it starts to diminish your performances to where people start to forget just how good you are, just how much time you spent building your career... They [the fans] start to say ‘Oh, he’s washed.’ How disrespectful are MMA fans?”

What's Next for Kamaru Usman?

Despite his three-fight skid, Usman still holds the No. 2 ranking at welterweight, and his recent losses are nothing to sniff at. Usman was on his way to winning the Edwards rematch before the kick, and gave a good showing in the trilogy; he also lost the Chimaev fight by the skin of his teeth on days' notice. By any means, Usman has options and isn't 'washed' at all.

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For fights, Usman likely has the leverage to fight in a title eliminator with either Jack Della Maddalena or Shavkat Rakhmonov, depending on which of the two gets a title shot first. If not this, it's possible for Usman to fight for the title, with current champion Belal Muhammad remarking that his legacy is reason enough for the fight.

Less viable, but still possible, is Usman's permanent move to middleweight. He showed he could stand and graplpe with the best when he fought Chimaev, arguably giving him his toughest fight alongside Gilbert Burns. As the No. 2 ranked welterweight, Usman could land a high-profile top-five fighter at middleweight like Caio Borralho or Nassourdine Imavov.

Usman: People Start to Forget Just How Good You Are

What's Next for Kamaru Usman?

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