Ali Abdelaziz says the UFC must have been "on tequila" to put Kamaru Usman at No.4 on P4P rankings
Ali Abdelaziz has expressed his disbelief at Kamaru Usman being ranked No.4 in the UFC's pound-for-pound rankings.
Speaking to John Morgan of MMA Underground, Abdelaziz claimed that he did not understand the reasons behind his client, former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman being dropped to No.4 in the pound-for-pound rankings:
"One of the things I don't understand is how Kamaru Usman became the No.4 or No.5 pound-for-pound fighter?... I think he should be No.2. Ahead of Islam [Makhachev] to be honest with you. The man lost at the last second... He was dominant. UFC on tequila or something? Because they drunk, Kamaru Usman is the greatest fighter in the UFC today."
Watch Ali Abdelaziz's full interview with John Morgan below:
Usman lost for only the second time in his MMA career (first in the UFC) against Leon Edwards at UFC 278 in August. 'Rocky' secured a knockout in the last minute of the fifth round with a devastating head kick, subsequently winning the welterweight title. Usman previously defended his title five times against the likes of Colby Covington, Jorge Masvidal, and Gilbert Burns.
'The Nigerian Nightmare' could potentially face the current welterweight champion in a trilogy fight next year when the UFC goes to the United Kingdom, with Dana White also teasing potential matchups for the event.
Leon Edwards vs Kamaru Usman 3 🏆
Khamzat Chimaev vs Colby Covington 🤔
Dana White is looking to bring a stacked card back to the UK in 2023 🇬🇧
https://t.co/jnreSpX9FM
Michael Bisping thinks Kamaru Usman will find it hard to get over his loss to Leon Edwards ahead of their potential trilogy fight
Michael Bisping has claimed that he is unsure of Kamaru Usman's ability to shake off his first loss in the UFC and bounce back from it successfully.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, 'The Count' pointed out that 'The Nigerian Nightmare' has never before tasted defeat like he did at UFC 278, getting knocked out cold by Edwards via a destructive head kick:
"It's going to be a tough fight for Kamaru. We've never seen Kamaru come back with those skeletons in his closet from getting knocked out. It does change some people, not everybody... Some people can't handle the pressure after getting knocked out like that."
Bisping continued:
"Usman was a great champion, he was pound-for-pound number one for a while. So I think he's more than capable of being able to shut off those demons and fight to the best of his ability. That doesn't mean he wins the fight. It's going to be a great fight."
Watch Michael Bisping's full YouTube episode below:
Kamaru Usman has been one of the most dominant champions in UFC welterweight history, successfully defending the title five times before losing it to 'Rocky' via knockout in the last minute of the fifth round.
Due to the 35-year-old's dominant performance in the early rounds against Edwards and his achievements in the promotion, Usman is expected to fight the Brit for the title next year.