Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is itching for more activity and wants to make the fifth defence of his 170-lb strap at UFC 263, on what would be another stacked card with three title fights, per an ESPN interview with his manager Ali Abdelaziz. While promoter Dana White said a Colby Covington rematch is next, they’re targeting others like Michael Chiesa (#7) instead.
Tag: welterweight
Bob Arum: Pacquiao-Crawford title bout fell through over money issues
A deal and terms on both sides were agreed for Terence Crawford to make his latest WBO welterweight world title defence against all-time great eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao on June 5 in an ESPN PPV from Saudi Arabia, but money expected by the Abu Dhabi government wasn’t issued by a specific deadline – according to Top Rank boss Bob Arum.
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UFC 261: Post-fight presser comments as Shevchenko, Namajunas and Usman talk
Promoter Dana White confirmed that UFC Africa is more than just a fantasy after all, a dominant Valentina Shevchenko spoke about next steps in her division as well as a possible Amanda Nunes trilogy, while Rose Namajunas – rematch aside – is eyeing a few possible contenders and reigning champion Kamaru Usman continues to see the fruits of his labour at welterweight. Continue reading
UFC 261: Kamaru Usman knocks out Jorge Masvidal, retains welterweight strap
Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman vowed to produce a better display in their rematch and did exactly that: being the first to KO Jorge Masvidal (#4), retaining his 170lb strap for the fourth time with a devastating right-hand. Beforehand, Rose Namajunas made history becoming a two-time champion while Valentina Shevchenko completed another dominant title defence.
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Kamaru Usman: Jorge Masvidal win left me unsatisfied, why I called for UFC 261 rematch
Ahead of his fourth welterweight title defence this weekend against Jorge Masvidal on a stacked UFC 261 card, Kamaru Usman (18-1 MMA, 13-0 UFC) has vowed to break the #3 divisional contender while saying 170-lb challengers aren’t exciting him – hinting that he may retire if he gets to a point where the landscape doesn’t motivate the same way anymore. Continue reading
Patience is the key: Jaron Ennis looking ahead after impressive Lipinets win
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Fresh from his sixth-round KO win over Sergey Lipinets on Saturday, blossoming welterweight contender Jaron Ennis (27-0, 25 KOs) knows while his latest victory was commendable, it probably hasn’t helped further aspirations of becoming a world champion by the beginning of 2022 – he might have to become a mandatory challenger to one of the division’s titlists first. Continue reading
Conor Benn’s brilliant R1 finish kickstarts busy night of boxing for prospects
Conor Benn needed just 80 seconds to retain his WBA Continental welterweight strap with a devastating TKO win over Samuel Vargas, proving the launchpad for a busy night of boxing across American soil as there were also big wins for two heavyweight prospects before 23-year-old welterweight talent Jaron Ennis earned a R6 KO vs. Sergey Lipinets in his main event debut.
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Vergil Ortiz Jr’s justified confidence needs to be championed, not rubbished
In the toughest test of his career so far, Vergil Ortiz Jr came through unscathed last weekend with a seventh-round TKO victory against former light welterweight title-holder Maurice Hooker before calling out WBO champion Terence Crawford ringside. Still only 22-years-old with a perfect 17-0 record, his flaws are being scrutinised – rather than his willingness to fight the best.
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UFC 261: Usman-Masvidal 2 set to headline full crowd PPV in Jacksonville
Kamaru Usman will make the fourth defence of his welterweight strap against #4 ranked Jorge Masvidal, headlining next month’s UFC 261 PPV with three title fights – Valentina Shevchenko and Zhang Weili the other champions scheduled for title defences. Set to be held at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, it’ll be the first event with fans since UFC 248 on March 7 last year. Continue reading
UFC Vegas 21: Edwards-Muhammad ends in tears as eyepoke causes no contest
#3 ranked welterweight Leon Edwards’ Octagon return after a 20-month hiatus lasted little over a round as his main event matchup against Belal Muhammad (#13) ended rather abruptly: an unintentional eye poke rendered Belal unable to continue as his eye swelled up quickly and he was unable to see. Beforehand, there were big first-round finishes for Dan Ige and Ryan Spann.
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Belal Muhammad up next this weekend, Leon Edwards targeting overdue title shot
A year ago this weekend, welterweight contender Leon Edwards (#3) had his highly-anticipated matchup against former champion Tyron Woodley cancelled due to the rapidly-changing COVID-19 pandemic. It’s been 600 days since his last walk to the Octagon but with short-notice opponent Belal Muhammad stepping up, he targets a big return in Saturday’s main event. Continue reading
UFC 258: Kamaru Usman earns R3 TKO vs. Gilbert Burns, retains welterweight title
Kamaru Usman responded emphatically to Gilbert Burns’ rapid start, surpassing George St-Pierre for the longest divisional streak of all-time (13) with the third defence of his welterweight title, blasting his former training partner to pieces in the main event. Before, there were big wins for Kelvin Gastelum and flyweight Alexa Grasso, who excelled during the night’s co-main.
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