Who’s next for Islam Makhachev? That’s the burning question after UFC 322. Despite the emergence of top contenders like Carlos Prates and Michael Morales on the same card, Makhachev told Paul Felder that if he had his way, he’d pick Kamaru Usman to fight next. Now, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ has humbly made his case as to why he’s the toughest, even if he’s not the most deserving, test for the newly minted welterweight champion.

On the VeChain Fanatics sitdown with Paul Felder, Makhachev highlighted Usman’s enduring presence in the sport and believes the 38-year-old could still best younger guys like Morales and Prates. So, the decision rests with the UFC matchmakers and Dana White, as they face mounting pressure to schedule Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria for the UFC White House event. But Usman’s good buddy Henry Cejudo is doing all he can to persuade anyone who will listen, including ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ that he’s the next best option for the Dagestani.

Kamaru Usman vs. Islam Makhachev – is this the fight to make?

Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo convened on their ‘Pound 4 Pound’ podcast to break down the biggest moments from UFC 322, where Islam Makhachev extended his win streak to 16, tying Anderson Silva, and became the 11th fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two divisions. When the discussion turned to Makhachev’s next potential opponent, Henry Cejudo stated, “The only person right now, in my opinion, who could give Islam Makhachev a run for his money and potentially even beat him… ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ Kamaru Usman.”

While Usman somewhat agrees with the former bantamweight champion’s point of view, he had his own perspective on why he deserves the title shot over other top contenders like Carlos Prates and Michael Morales. And it’s not purely based on merit.

Usman said, “I see, I see what you mean. And I… I think he’s right. Prates and Morales did a fantastic job… But with Prates—Prates is probably my favorite welterweight right now to watch and get behind. I’m a fan of his, and all these guys—I’m a fan of the sport. But you just almost feel like there’s….

“If there are guys like myself and Islam in the division, you almost feel like if Prates was the champion, what happened to JDM last night is bound to happen. Am I right or wrong? You almost feel like someone could do that to them. Yeah. And so I feel like, it’s just with Prates, you want to see those [questions] answered. And the same with Morales. You’ve just seen him on his feet… No one’s really got him, dragged him down… I would like to see one or two more [fights] from him,” the Nigerian Nightmare explained on the Pound 4 Pound show.

At UFC 322, both Michael Morales and Carlos Prates stood out as some of the top names in a stacked welterweight division with big wins. However, as Usman said, their mettle has not been tested on the ground by someone of Makhachev’s or Usman’s calibre. So, what should the UFC do? Make a fight to satisfy the hype? Or give Makhachev a proven challenger like Usman, and risk a highly technical fight that likely gets tagged ‘boring’?

With that in mind, Henry Cejudo seemed more interested than Kamaru Usman in getting him a title shot against Islam Makhachev. “If I’m to give my two cents, I think you should—stylistically, [if] you want to see Islam in a very, very competitive fight, you give him Kamaru Usman. I think the most logical thing these guys could do right now in the UFC is give Michael Morales vs. Carlos Prates—the winner becomes that number one contender, man.”

For Usman, this fight means more than just giving Makhachev his toughest test on paper. It’s a remnant of a past challenge, one that pushed him beyond boundaries.

Usman compares the Islam Makhachev challenge to Colby Covington!

UFC CEO Dana White once called Kamaru Usman the “greatest welterweight ever.” He also said that if Usman wasn’t around, Colby Covington would have been the UFC welterweight champion. And that’s a fair assessment. Listen to what Kamaru told Cejudo.

“I say it’s the most competitive because when I look at a guy like Islam, I don’t really see holes like that. And that’s something that scares me, that causes that heartbeat to go up. And that’s when you see some of the most spectacular performances. Because the last time I felt that like that was Colby Covington 1. And that’s when I was like, ‘Yo, you got a guy that can wrestle just as good as you, a guy that can grapple just as good, a guy that can strike just as well. You got a guy that’s good at all these things. How do you get that victory? And that’s where you LIVE!”

This is pure contendership. Usman’s competitiveness is second to none. His two fights with Colby Covington were the farthest anyone pushed him during his dominant title reign. And if that wasn’t enough, he went up in weight and challenged someone who’s equally, if not more, dominant on the ground than Makhachev-  Khamzat Chimaev!

He only lost that bout by a majority decision. Many argue that if that was a five-rounder, Usman could have scored the upset. A win at UFC 294 might have even put him in middleweight title contention. And if he can take on a brute like Chimaev on short notice, surely he can challenge (and maybe even upset) Makhachev?

At 38, age is not Usman’s friend. And the stories about his knees being non-existent are rampant in MMA circles. Still, do you think Kamaru Usman can step up to face the Dagestani champion? Share your thoughts below.