Even though Kamaru Usman just picked up the highest profile victory of his career by defeating Demian Maia at UFC Chile, Usman still claims that he has been having trouble getting opponents to agree to fight him. As a recent example, Usman cites Santiago Ponzinibbio, who was originally scheduled to face Usman at UFC Chile prior to pulling out of the main event:
“Look at a guy like Santiago Ponzinibbio,” Usman said to Luke Thomas on the MMA Hour on Monday. “I was supposed to fight him in Chile. This was his event, because he’s the South American guy. They were gonna use him to break those new markets. I was supposed to fight him in Chile, he falls out, now he’s got a bout in Argentina. Wouldn’t the right person (say), ‘You know what? I want that back. Ranked ahead of me, I want that fight back’? But what does he say? He comes out and says, ‘Uh, you know, what, no, RDA, let’s put on a great performance.’
“No, you don’t call out someone that’s ranked ahead of me when you didn’t even beat me. You didn’t even fight me! You sit down, let me do my work against everybody ranked ahead, then you guys can have whatever you have left. So I’m still having a hard time with those guys, but RDA…if I do fight anybody besides winning the title September 8th, it’s gonna be RDA.”
“That’s really the only fight that makes sense. I mean, he just fought for an interim title. That’s the fight that puts me right there. I’m not getting Till, which I wanted. I’m not getting him. Covington…four times I’ve been offered that fight. He’s declined each and every one. I’m not getting that guy. So the only guy left to put me right there is RDA.”
dos Anjos was listening to this interview and in response, he challenged Usman to fight at UFC 228, stating that if Usman is needed to fill in for the main event, he would drive home:
Don’t waste your camp! Let’s plan to fight on that day!!! If Till does not make weight or someone gets hurt you go chase the belt and I drive home…otherwise it will be you and I ???
— Rafael dos Anjos (@RdosAnjosMMA) August 13, 2018
Usman also claims in this interview that an offer with RDA was already on the table:
“Actually, they offered me RDA in Brazil for that main event that Glover and Jimi Manuwa got,” Usman said. I was offered that fight. I said, ‘Yes. I’m ready. I’ll take the fight. But he said no. He said he was dealing with something. I don’t know if he went on vacation or something to do with his ear…it doesn’t matter. He turned it down or he wasn’t ready to fight. So that’s fine. But that’s the only fight that interests me.”
Well, now, that interest is mutual.
The UFC 228 card takes place in less than one month at September 8th from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
Do you believe the UFC should push for this matchup at UFC 228?
