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Title Shot off 3 Losses? Ex-Champ Teases Return after UFC 310 Withdrawal

Will Kamaru Usman step in on short notice to fight the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310?

Christopher De Santiago

Per Haljestam-Imagn Images

It's comeback season for one Kamaru Usman.

The former UFC Welterweight Champion has seen better days in his career, going from an undefeated UFC record and five title defenses to a knockout title loss and losing twice more in the aftermath.

Even so, Usman isn't in that bad of a spot, as he's #2 in the welterweight rankings and arguably ranked at #2 when it comes to the greatest welterweight of all time conversation behind Georges St-Pierre. With that said, a title shot could be what's next for Usman in the wake of a welterweight booking between Belal Muhammad and Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 which saw the champ Muhammad withdraw due to a toe infection.

Title Shot off 3 Losses? Ex-Champ Teases Return after UFC 310 Withdrawal
Former UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman / Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

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Usman vs. Rakhmonov?

On Monday, Rakhmonov proposed the idea of fighting for an interim title on Ariel Helwani's Show, locking in on the "worthy" Usman as a potential opponent for his first bout since a submission-win over Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson in December.

Usman Teases Next Fight

Less than 24 hours later, Usman would hint at his own comeback story...

"Troublemaker! I soon come," Usman wrote on Instagram.

Before Rakhmonov was ever booked to fight Muhammad, Usman was in the conversation for the next welterweight title fight given the lack of a clear-cut #1 contender and his body of work in the division with TKO stoppages over Colby Covington, Jorge Masvidal, and Gilbert Burns.

Though, Usman's not alone at the top of the rankings, with fighters such as former foe Leon Edwards, Jack Della Maddalena, Sean Brady, Ian Machado Garry, Joaquin Buckley likely a win or two away from a title shot themselves, with Usman possibly being the only contender wiling and available to fight Shavkat Rakhmonov on short notice at UFC 310.

Title Shot off 3 Losses? Ex-Champ Teases Return after UFC 310 Withdrawal
Dec 16, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Shavkat Rakhmonov (red gloves) reacts after defeating Stephen Thompson (blue gloves) during UFC 296 at T-Mobile Arena. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Time will tell, however, if "The Nigerian Nightmare" becomes the first fighter to get a title shot off of three-straight losses.

An interim title isn't all that needed as Muhammad won the belt in July and was expected to defend it four months later, but we've seen interim titles created for short-notice main events before, like with Ciryl Gane vs. Derrick Lewis for the interim heavyweight championship at UFC 265 after Francis Ngannou had apparently asked the UFC to defend his title a month later.

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Christopher De Santiago
CHRISTOPHER DE SANTIAGO

Christopher De Santiago is a 22 year-old journalist from Gainesville, Texas with years of experience covering MMA.

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