Kamaru Usman has seemingly set his sights on Stephen Thompson as his next opponent. The former UFC welterweight champion has engaged in a feud with Khamzat Chimaev for months, but it may be ‘Wonderboy’ who is next for ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’.
Kamaru Usman vs. Stephen Thompson?
In an interview with TMZ Sports, Usman went on to say that he believes the fight that makes sense is against Thompson. Both fighters are in need of an opponent, and with the Chimaev fight now apparently on the back burner, Usman is potentially targeting the 40-year-old from South Carolina.
“I’ve done everything there is to do,” said Usman when asked about his future. “The only guy that even makes sense right now is Wonderboy because he needs an opponent. Wonderboy has been around for so long, and he’s just that name to where it’s always a good fight.”
Thompson is one of the most accomplished strikers in the UFC. Despite his age, he is still a mainstay in the welterweight top 10 and has wins over the likes of Robert Whittaker and Jorge Masvidal. Just when it seemed like he was fading, he stopped Kevin Holland in a fight-of-the-night performance in December last year. Thompson now has the attention of the former champion.
“His style is very, very difficult to fight. He’s just one of those names, he’s in my era, that I never really got to fight,” Usman continued. Thompson was due to fight Michel Pereira at UFC 291 but pulled out of the fight because Pereira missed weight. Usman responded to the criticism that Thompson received over the fight cancellation. He said: “Wonderboy did his job. He came in there, he made weight, he trained for the fight. What more could you ask of him?”
Quotes credit to tmz.com
The dispute between Usman and Chimaev may have reached a stalemate for now. They have gone back and forth for months over which weight class to fight at, so at this point Usman may be more open to a fight with Thompson.
What do you think about a potential matchup between Usman and Wonderboy? Let us know in the comments below.
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