Kamaru Usman would give Tyron Woodley rematch if it was up to him
At UFC 235, Kamaru Usman became the new welterweight champion after a dominating performance over Tyron Woodley.
Now, it is expected that Usman will face Colby Covington in his first title defense sometime in the summer. It is a fight that the fans want to see, but if Usman had his way, he would not be fighting Covington next. Rather, he would be rematching Woodley as he believes Woodley deserves another shot at him and another chance to reclaim his belt.
“If it was up to me, personally, yeah, I would give him a rematch,” Usman said on The Ariel Helwani MMA Show. “I mean, Tyron, I believe has been an exceptional champion…a great guy, great dude…nothing but love and respect for Tyron. This is all business. I just couldn’t sit way back in the shadows and let this other clown run his mouth and talk himself in and out of the title fight. And so, it was my time. That was my time to go out there and do what I do, and I did.
“So, nothing but respect for Tyron,” Usman continued. “If it was just up to me, of course I would give him a rematch, but it’s not just up to me. There’s a lot of other forces involved that run the company. So, it’s not just my decision. It’s their decision as well. So, if they feel like they want to go in a different direction, there’s nothing I can do to change that.”
Ultimately, Kamaru Usman does not make the decisions of who he will fight next. With that, it will most likely have to fight Covington next. However, that doesn’t mean Usman and Woodley won’t be fighting again sometime soon if Tyron Woodley can get back on track and get a win or two.
