Division leaps in search for a second UFC title are becoming more and more stock nowadays in the promotion, however, a champion’s decision to leap two weight divisions in a bid to become a two-weight gold holder is something unheard of.
If reigning welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman had his way, however, it appears the Nigerian bruiser had sights set on challenging former undisputed light heavyweight kingpin, Jan Blachowicz for Octagon spoils in 2021.
Usman, the reigning welterweight kingpin, is currently in the midst of a staggering 19-fight winning run, and chalked up his fifth consecutive successful title defense back in November at Madison Square Garden with a second career triumph against Colby Covington.
The win capped off a remarkable period at the top for Usman, who was promoted to the pound-for-pound #1 spot in September, as well as lodging pivotal title knockbacks against both two-time foe, Jorge Masvidal, and former teammate, Gilbert Burns – the first of which came in a stunning one-punch KO in April.
Yet to book his return to the Octagon as he looks to add to his already gleaming trophy cabinet, Usman revealed during a recent interview with GQ – that he intended to leap beyond good friend and middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, and secure a light heavyweight title excursion against Polish wrecker, Blachowicz.
“I was gonna skip Israel (Adesanya) and go fight Jan (Blachowicz) at 205,” Kamaru Usman said. “Because I’m pound-for-pound, I want to prove it. No matter what weight it is, I thought he (Jan Blachowicz) was a really good matchup for me. I think I would beat him.”
However, despite Usman’s best intentions to make a two-division climb, Blachowicz instead dropped his undisputed championship in quite surprising circumstances against the veteran Glover Teixeira just a week before Usman’s second win over Covington, on ‘Fight Island’ at UFC 268.
Searching for his whopping twentieth successive success next time around, the recent ONX Labs mover and Trevor Wittman trainee is widely expected to face another familiar foe in a potential summer return – in the form of a championship re-run against the #3 ranked, Leon Edwards.
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