Should Kamaru Usman Move Divisions After His UFC 278 Loss?
At UFC 278, Kamaru Usman lost his UFC welterweight championship to Leon Edwards after Edwards landed a perfect head kick to complete his comeback victory. Usman now sits without UFC gold for the first time since 2018. How will he rebound? The Nigerian Nightmare has plenty of options. He could attempt to regain his welterweight championship, or he could move up to middleweight or light heavyweight and chase a new belt.
He Can Still Compete at Welterweight
Usually, when a fighter moves to a new division, they are either unable to compete in their current one or they are chasing double champ status. Neither of those criteria applies to Usman since he’s still competitive at welterweight. Despite losing his belt, he is capable of beating Edwards. He has a massive grappling advantage that helped him win three of the first four rounds of their fight at UFC 278. If Usman and Edwards fight again, the Nigerian would likely be the favorite. There is no reason to run from a challenge that you can conquer. From a legacy standpoint, another fight with Edwards will help him patch the only hole in his resume. That would help him become the welterweight GOAT. As far as double champ status goes, it makes more sense for Usman to attempt to become a simultaneous double champ. This would require him to regain the welterweight belt before he switches weight classes.
The Middleweight Title Picture Is Foggy
For Usman, a move up to the middleweight division is more plausible than a move to light heavyweight. Welterweight to middleweight is a 15-pound difference in comparison to the 35-pound difference between welterweight and light heavyweight. With that being said, Usman has stated he will not fight UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya due to their African heritage. If Usman is unwilling to fight Adesanya, he would have to wait for a title opportunity against a different champion. Since Adesanya is undefeated at middleweight, it is unclear if or when that opportunity will arise.
Light Heavyweight Is Too Much To Handle
Usman fighting at light heavyweight is impractical. I would not bother discussing this if he had not presented the idea himself. Usman’s thought process is that he can become a two-division champion while avoiding a fight with Adesanya if he moves up to light heavyweight. At this point, this idea should never be discussed again.
First off, Usman’s fighting style does not translate well to the light heavyweight division. Usman fights behind his jab and he has defensive flaws. At light heavyweight, he would have a hard time fighting behind his jab because he would be shorter than all of his opponents. Plus, the power difference between welterweight and light heavyweight would only aggravate his current flaws. Secondly, he was just knocked out for the first time in his career. This would be the wrong time to fight someone with light heavyweight power.
Ultimately, with all three options out on the table, it is clear he should stay at welterweight.
