Kamaru Usman surprises everyone by refusing to fight former champion Dricus du Plessis in the UFC.

Kamaru Usman focused before fighting in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/brwlrz

Apparently, Kamaru Usman won't make it easy for the UFC to schedule his next fight. The former welterweight champion (up to 77,1 kg), who last competed in June in Atlanta (USA) and ended his losing streak by dominating Joaquin Buckley , made no secret of it and candidly revealed that he refused fights offered by the world's largest MMA organization.

In his podcast 'Pound 4 Pound', the Nigerian fighter stated that the UFC offered him Dricus du Plessis as an opponent, explaining that he wasn't interested in the fight because he didn't see its importance or purpose. Interestingly, like Usman, the South African was also a UFC champion, in his case in the middleweight division (up to 83,9 kg), which would give the hypothetical encounter a significant weight class.

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It's worth noting that the veteran, who recently campaigned strongly for a second welterweight title shot, expressed his frustration at being denied a fight against champion Islam Makhachev by the company . Now, Usman is 'getting even' by choosing to remain in the division and awaits his next fight.

“Other things were presented to me, like the possibility of facing DDP or other guys. But there’s one thing about me: when they call me and talk about this guy or that guy, I don’t think, ‘Hmm, maybe.’ No. I say yes,” said the former UFC champion.

“What matters to me is that it needs to have meaning. At this point, it has to be meaningful. I’m not just here to fight for the sake of fighting. It has to have meaning. If this leads me to the belt, which is what I want, that’s what I want,” he concluded.

Posture is nothing new.

Kamaru Usman 's refusal of the UFC's offer is not surprising. Given his legendary status in MMA, the Nigerian is usually cautious and values ​​himself before accepting fights. In fact, the former welterweight champion went years without competing before agreeing to face Buckley and making amends with victory. With three consecutive losses, the athlete had not competed since 2023.

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