Kamaru Usman Wants His Roses
By Eddie Sanchez
UFC 258 represented his status as a true champion. That’s it. That’s the take. There is no better way to describe the dominance that Kamaru displayed against his friend and teammate Gilbert Burns this past Saturday.
Credit to Burns for giving all he could with his attempt to take control of the fight early on. Like most underdogs in a fight against the ultra-elite, Burns attacked quickly to assert himself against the champion. His strikes included mixing knees and lead kicks with an immediate over hand right following.
This plan was successful from the onset and Kamaru Usman was in slight visible distress. The power was felt and Burns was gaining confidence. This however, was the first moment Kamaru Usman represented his true champion status.
Usman has an elite chin. He ate the best shots that Gilbert Burns was offering and he never wavered from his poised stance. When Gilbert Burns was content fighting off his back for nearly half of the first round, Usman took his time to move towards Burns who was baiting the champion for a fight on the ground. Usman landed a nice straight to the body which in turn forced Gilbert to retreat back to his stand-up stance.
Entering the second round, Usman represented the next sign of a true champion. As a testament to being a student of the game, he took the advice from his corner to utilize his jab to take control of the fight.
And take control of the fight he did. Usman fought methodically. He was cautious of Burns’ overhand right and matched his opponents power with his lead jab. Even as the damage from the shots was apparent, Usman, like the true champion he is, remained patient and fought at the pace that was suddenly working, as opposed to jumping the gun with an attempt to finish the fight.
At this point it was obvious that the end of the fight was near. Burns met his corner with a look that displayed a defeated man. He was clearly fatigued from the shots Usman landed. This was compounded by the fast-burning start and his lungs were working extremely hard.
Usman started the third round from a southpaw stance, landed a power jab which pummeled his opponent to the floor and finally took this opportunity to pounce and end the night. This was a true display of greatness and Usman. He earned his victory in style, represented his supreme confidence and made it clear that he needs his damn respect.
Kamaru Usman didn’t just win another title defense, he broke GSP’s record for consecutive victories at the Welterweight division with thirteen. This mark leaves him third all-time for consecutive victories, regardless of weight class, behind Anderson Silva (16) and Jon Jones (17).
With the way things are looking, Usman is nowhere near close to losing a fight anytime soon. His last six bouts read as a murders-row of elite competition: Demian Maia (currently #8 WW), Rafael dos Anjos (#7 LW), Tyron Woodley (#7 WW), Colby Covington (#2 WW), Jorge Masvidal (#4 WW) and Gilbert Burns (#1 WW). He also has a victory over Leon Edwards (#3) in 2015.
Absolute madness.
Given that he has successfully dismantled six of the top eight ranked fighters in the Welterweight division, the natural question regarding Kamaru Usman is simply, who’s next?
It’s been rumored that Colby Covington-versus-Leon Edwards is rumored for the number one contender spot. If this fight goes down, with Leon Edwards that is never a given, then the victor will inevitably be a suitable opponent for a rematch with the Welterweight star.
The two remaining men ranked in the top eight that Usman has yet to face, Wonderboy Thompson (#5) and Michael Chiesa (#6), would provide additional names to etch in his title reign, but bring relatively little in terms of questionable danger.
This is not to say that I would not want to see these matchups, but they would need to be taken similar to Canelo Alvarez’s 2021 approach. Canelo last fought in December 2020, has two fights lined up in February and May respectively, and is looking to schedule two more to close out the rest of the calendar year.
If Usman is able to fit two more fights in 2021, then taking on one of Wonderboy Thompson or Michael Chiesa would not only be justified, but welcomed by many.
There also is the elephant in the room that is Khamzat Chimaev that seems destined to be a Kamaru Usman opponent. That bout would take some time to take place of course. Khamzat is still on the shelf due to COVID-related issues and he would need multiple fights to build his standing in the rankings.
Regardless of who will provide the next test for Kamaru Usman, it’s imperative that we all take the time to recognize the greatness he displays.
