Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has admitted he may not be prepared to face undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 on December 7 in Las Vegas, despite earlier expressing interest in the bout, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The Nigerian Nightmare, speaking on his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Henry Cejudo, revealed that while he saw the fight as winnable, the December date might be too soon for his return to the octagon.
“To be honest, it’s a fight that I’ve looked at, and I know it’s definitely a very, very winnable fight,” Usman said.
“And I know that I can, of all people, go out there and expose what hasn’t been exposed in a young, hungry, streaky guy in Shavkat Rakhmonov. He’s very talented, and he’s very, very good. But I do see the holes, and I think that I can exploit that when that time is right.
“But Dec. 7 might be a little too early for that time. So that’s where I’m at.”
The opportunity arose after current champion Belal Muhammad was forced to withdraw from his scheduled title defence against Rakhmonov due to a bone infection in his foot at the T-Mobile Arena.
The 37-year-old Auchi-born fighter’s hesitation comes during a challenging period in his career, as he currently rides a three-fight losing streak.
His last appearance was a majority decision loss to another undefeated prospect, Khamzat Chimaev, at UFC 294 in October 2023, a bout he took on short notice.
Before that, Usman suffered back-to-back losses to Leon Edwards—a devastating fifth-round knockout that cost him his title at UFC 278 and a majority decision defeat in their trilogy fight at UFC 286.
Despite his recent setbacks, the former champion boasts an impressive professional record of 20 wins and four losses, including 15 victories in the UFC octagon. His willingness to accept challenging fights on short notice is well-documented, having successfully defended his title against Jorge Masvidal at UFC 251 in July 2020 with just six days’ preparation.
While Rakhmonov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) has expressed interest in facing the former champion, UFC officials have yet to reach out to Usman’s team regarding the potential matchup.
“The UFC will identify who they believe can handle that challenge and perform well under those circumstances. If they call me, I’ll be ready to discuss everything and see if we can make it happen. I embrace those kinds of opportunities,” Usman had said earlier.
A potential bout with Rakhmonov would offer Usman an opportunity to snap his losing streak and potentially position himself for another title shot in the welterweight division.
