{"id":6752,"date":"2026-02-27T10:13:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T09:13:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/?p=6752"},"modified":"2026-02-27T19:19:54","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T18:19:54","slug":"kamaru-usman-opens-up-about-a-potential-islam-makhachev-showdown-is-the-ufc-moving-in-another-direction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/kamaru-usman-opens-up-about-a-potential-islam-makhachev-showdown-is-the-ufc-moving-in-another-direction\/","title":{"rendered":"Kamaru Usman Opens Up About a Potential Islam Makhachev Showdown: Is the UFC Moving in Another Direction?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"2799\" data-end=\"3210\">At a pivotal stage of his career, <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Kamaru Usman<\/span><\/span> has shed light on behind-the-scenes discussions regarding a possible clash with <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Islam Makhachev<\/span><\/span>. His comments on the <em data-start=\"3010\" data-end=\"3025\">Pound 4 Pound<\/em> podcast go beyond casual speculation \u2014 they reveal the internal dynamics of the <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Ultimate Fighting Championship<\/span><\/span> and how mega-fights are strategically constructed \u2014 or redirected.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"3212\" data-end=\"3472\">Usman\u2019s objective is clear: reclaim the welterweight throne in 2026. The former dominant champion is pursuing a second reign and even claims he turned down an opportunity against <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Dricus du Plessis<\/span><\/span> to remain focused on that singular mission.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"3474\" data-end=\"3521\">On paper, a fight with Makhachev makes sense:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"3522\" data-end=\"3726\">\n<li data-start=\"3522\" data-end=\"3559\">\n<p data-start=\"3524\" data-end=\"3559\">a former king seeking redemption,<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"3560\" data-end=\"3609\">\n<p data-start=\"3562\" data-end=\"3609\">a reigning champion consolidating his legacy,<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"3610\" data-end=\"3726\">\n<p data-start=\"3612\" data-end=\"3726\">a stylistic chess match between Usman\u2019s relentless pressure and Makhachev\u2019s system-based, grappling-heavy mastery.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"3728\" data-end=\"3811\">However, the UFC does not operate solely on sporting logic. The promotion weighs:<\/p>\n<ol style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"3812\" data-end=\"3941\">\n<li data-start=\"3812\" data-end=\"3834\">\n<p data-start=\"3815\" data-end=\"3834\">Current momentum.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"3835\" data-end=\"3881\">\n<p data-start=\"3838\" data-end=\"3881\">Marketability and pay-per-view potential.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"3882\" data-end=\"3941\">\n<p data-start=\"3885\" data-end=\"3941\">The competitive hierarchy shaped by recent performances.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"3943\" data-end=\"3980\">And that is where complexity emerges.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"3982\" data-end=\"4004\">Merit vs. Momentum<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"4006\" data-end=\"4256\">Usman\u2019s r\u00e9sum\u00e9 speaks volumes. Yet his recent trajectory has diluted some of his dominance, despite rebounding with a key victory over Buckley. Meanwhile, other contenders are building undeniable streaks and forcing their names into the conversation.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"4258\" data-end=\"4347\">Should legacy outweigh recent activity?<br data-start=\"4297\" data-end=\"4300\" \/>Or should the division reward present momentum?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"4349\" data-end=\"4393\">This tension defines the current crossroads.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"4395\" data-end=\"4459\">Makhachev\u2019s Position: Sporting Desire or Strategic Variable?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"4461\" data-end=\"4607\">Makhachev\u2019s camp has repeatedly mentioned interest in facing Usman. Defeating a former dominant champion would significantly elevate his r\u00e9sum\u00e9.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"4609\" data-end=\"4726\">But in the UFC ecosystem, a champion\u2019s preference is only one piece of the puzzle. The organization also considers:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"4727\" data-end=\"4800\">\n<li data-start=\"4727\" data-end=\"4754\">\n<p data-start=\"4729\" data-end=\"4754\">long-term storytelling,<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"4755\" data-end=\"4776\">\n<p data-start=\"4757\" data-end=\"4776\">financial upside,<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"4777\" data-end=\"4800\">\n<p data-start=\"4779\" data-end=\"4800\">divisional stability.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"4802\" data-end=\"4866\">Sometimes, delaying a blockbuster maximizes its eventual impact.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"4868\" data-end=\"4886\">Final Analysis<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"4888\" data-end=\"4994\">Usman is not merely negotiating a fight \u2014 he is negotiating relevance within a shifting power structure.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"4996\" data-end=\"5131\">The real question is no longer: <em data-start=\"5028\" data-end=\"5055\">Does he deserve the shot?<\/em><br data-start=\"5055\" data-end=\"5058\" \/>It is: <em data-start=\"5065\" data-end=\"5129\">Does his comeback align with the UFC\u2019s next strategic chapter?<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"5133\" data-end=\"5178\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\">That is where the true decision will be made.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At a pivotal stage of his career, Kamaru Usman has shed light on behind-the-scenes discussions regarding a possible clash with Islam Makhachev. His comments on the Pound 4 Pound podcast go beyond casual speculation \u2014 they reveal the internal dynamics of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and how mega-fights are strategically constructed \u2014 or redirected. Usman\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6753,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,21],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-6752","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mma","8":"category-ufc-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6752"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6752"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6752\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6754,"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6752\/revisions\/6754"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6753"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6752"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6752"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6752"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}