Israel Adesanya, the UFC’s middleweight champion, and Kamaru Usman, the UFC’s welterweight champion and pound-for-pound number one fighter, share a unique bond. The two Nigerian champions have admitted that they will never fight each other inside the octagon.

However, Usman’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, has suggested the welterweight champion will sign to fight ‘The Last Stylebender’ if the money is right.

Speaking to media, ahead of his bout at UFC 271, the middleweight champion has criticized Abdelaziz for his comments.

He said, “Kamaru can speak for himself, and he has, and I’ve spoken for myself. We said we wouldn’t fight each other. This for me, personally, it’s bigger than money.”

“Also, I have nothing to gain, like, it’s the guy coming up from the lower weight class that looks to challenge himself that’s the, almost the protagonist of the story that gets to you know, rise to the occasion and that’s cool, but Kamaru is not interested.”

“Ali is just greedy, you know, he sees dollar signs but I’m like dude you can make that money elsewhere but he’s just super greedy and, yeah for me, it’s bigger than money, you know.”

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Earlier, Adesanya’s coach, Eugene Bareman, had also criticized Abdelaziz for seeking a fight between these two.

Kamaru Usman wants to compete against Israel Adesanya

‘The Nigerian Nightmare‘ has hinted that he would never fight ‘The Last Stylebender‘. However, he is open to competing against Adesanya.

He stressed that there is a difference between fighting and competing, and if the UFC will give them $100 million, then they can make this fight.

Setting the money aside, the welterweight champion matches up really well with Adesanya stylistically, as he is not a small welterweight and has one of the best wrestling skills in the UFC. Also, working with his new coach Trevor Wittman has improved his striking.

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Historically, ‘The Last Stylebender’ has struggled on the ground. Though he possesses superior striking skills, a fight with Usman will be very competitive.

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Both of them have shown good cardio and chin. The range of Adesanya could cause a few issues for Usman. Also, looking at the fights with Colby Covington, it appears he has a hard time blocking attacks coming from the left side.

Usman has one of the best coaches in Trevor Wittman, who has won the coach of the year at the 2021 World MMA Awards. Likewise, as the team at CKB is brilliant in breaking down fights, they would want to capitalize on the little details if the two decide to compete against each other.

Is Kamaru Usman’s manager greedy? Who will you favor in a fight between Israel Adesanya and Kamaru Usman? Let us know in the comment section.

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