Once Paulo Costa was out of the picture, it was time for Kamaru Usman to take center stage again. Khamzat Chimaev was left disappointed after the much-hyped match had to be modified days before it went down. With Costa’s injury, it’s impossible for him to fight.

However, Usman is ready and raring to go at it. ‘Borz’ will still fight at UFC 294, albeit with a different opponent and at middleweight. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ is not about to aim any lower than the title after defeating Chimaev. In a recent conversation, he revealed his plans what happens after the fight.

Kamaru Usman aims high

Kamaru Usman has previously defeated Sean Strickland at UFC 210 in 2017. The fighter won via decision and still holds that victory over Strickland since he never went up against him again. Now, ‘Tarzan’ is the middleweight champion. It’s kind of like revisiting an old friend who’s now gotten a major promotion.

Usman appeared for an interview with TMZSports to talk about his upcoming bout against Khamzat Chimaev. The fighter had to step in after Costa pulled out thanks to his elbow injury. Now, the number 1 welterweight will go up against ‘Borz’ at middleweight and if he wins, well, big things could await.

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“It’s a no-brainer because there’s just that element of story there,” said Usman when asked about the title fight. “I mean Sean Strickland is a champion. I’ve already taken care of him, not to say he’s not better he is, but I’ve got a mountain in front of me that I need to scale and climb. So we’ll get through that first then we worry about what’s next.”

Clearly, the fighter has a vision set for him but chooses to approach it with great caution. Usman is often considered as the greatest welterweight out there. The claim probably comes from the way he can handle his movements as well as his mindset ahead of the fight. While stepping up to a new weight class can be a challenge, the fighter was more than ready for it even on short notice.

Usman opens up about the last minute changes

Kamaru Usman has been fighting with the UFC for ages now. He’s been a professional who broke onto the scene and started dominating like no other after winning The Ultimate Fighter. So naturally, he’s no stranger to the way things can work at the UFC. The last minute changes had him surprised but he wasn’t caught sleeping.

“Being put in this position to have to fly across the world (in) nine days and make it happen, you know it’s nothing new to me.”

Also Read: “Hospitalized”- Paulo Costa Makes Huge Confession to Dana White as Khamzat Chimaev Takes On Kamaru Usman at UFC 294

The fighter is now making sure he is prepared to fight ‘Borz’. It’s going to be an interesting battle especially after his opponent had specifically prepared to fight Costa. Now, he has a new enemy to face. Chimaev remains unaffected by the changes but a lot of banter is likely to ensue between him and Costa. Who do you think will win the fight now? Usman or Chimaev?

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