Kamaru Usman explains why he wants to fight Stephen Thompson next
Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman explained why he wants to fight Stephen Thompson next.
Usman has not fought since UFC 286 earlier this year when he lost a majority decision to Leon Edwards in their rematch. The former champion has been connected to a fight against Khamzat Chimaev, but nothing has been booked yet. With so many of the top-15 fighters in the welterweights already booked for fights, and with Usman having fought the majority of the top contenders already, it’s slim pickings when it comes to who Usman could be fighting next.
One fighter who is a potential opponent is “Wonderboy,” a long-time veteran who recently lost his fight at UFC 291 against Michel Pereira when his opponent missed weight. Speaking to TMZ Sports in a recent interview, Usman suggested that a fight with Thompson makes sense.
“I’ve done everything there is to do. The only guy, to be honest, that would even make sense right now is ‘Wonderboy,’ because he needs an opponent. ‘Wonderboy’ has been around so long, and he’s just that name to where it’s always a great fight. His style is very, very difficult to fight. He’s just one of those names, he’s in my era, that I never really got to fight,” Usman said (via MMAjunkie.com).
Usman even jumped to the defense of Thompson, who turned down the fight with Pereira after his opponent missed weight by three pounds. In Usman’s eyes, Thompson did nothing wrong.
