Kamaru Usman has made clear that his next move depends on opportunity rather than a fixed weight class. Ahead of his UFC Oklahoma City main event against former middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis, Usman said he had expected to challenge Islam Makhachev for the welterweight title before the UFC elected to pursue another direction.
“The Nigerian Nightmare” enters the Du Plessis fight looking to create a route toward another title shot, this time at 185 pounds. The former welterweight champion last fought at UFC Atlanta last year, where he beat Joaquin Buckley, and a win over Du Plessis could place him near the middleweight title picture.
Kamaru Usman was direct when discussing his future after the UFC moved away from a proposed title fight with Islam Makhachev. The former welterweight champion said he expected Makhachev to be next, but accepted the promotion had chosen another route. Usman is now set to meet Dricus du Plessis in a main event that could create a path toward the middleweight title picture. “If you’re not going to give me the title, then give me something that gets me to the title,” Usman said, making his stance on UFC matchmaking clear.
Kamaru Usman Reveals Why His Islam Makhachev Fight Never Happened
But the Nigerian-American said a meeting with Makhachev had been his preferred assignment. Makhachev, who won the welterweight belt at UFC 322, was initially linked with Usman before being booked to defend against Ian Machado Garry in the UFC 330 main event.
“I thought the Islam fight was next, but unfortunately the company has a big say and the company thought this was a big opportunity instead,” Usman said. His comments reflect the balancing act in UFC matchmaking, where title rankings, event needs and commercial appeal can shape a fighter’s schedule.
Usman has described himself as a “Moneyweight” fighter, a label that fits his willingness to follow major fights across divisions. The Du Plessis contest is a significant test: Usman built his championship run at welterweight, while Du Plessis is a former 185-pound titleholder with a physical style that has challenged established middleweights.
The 38-year-old’s position is simple. “If you’re not going to give me the title [fight], then give me something that gets me to the title,” Usman said after explaining that Du Plessis had been mentioned during negotiations before it was formally offered.
That leaves him with a high-risk assignment and a potential reward. A win would strengthen his argument for a third run at UFC gold and show that his future does not need to be restricted to the 170-pound division.
Despite his frustration at missing out on the Makhachev matchup, Usman did not question the champion’s ability to compete at higher weights. Makhachev became a two-division UFC champion when he captured the welterweight belt after his lightweight title run, and talk around a future middleweight move has persisted.
“Islam can do just about anything,” Usman said. “When they said he was too small for welterweight, I said, ‘I don’t think so.’ I think Islam can do whatever he wants to do.”
Makhachev’s longtime coach, Javier Mendez, has similarly said the Dagestani could compete at middleweight, while noting that an eventual move to 185 pounds would require additional muscle. For Usman, though, that hypothetical will wait. Du Plessis is the immediate assignment, and it is the fight he believes can put him back in a title conversation.
