His mystique is gone - Ali Abdelaziz believes Canelo Alvarez "blew a great opportunity" for Kamaru Usman superfight by losing to Dmitry Bivol
MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz believes that Canelo Alvarez versus Kamaru Usman is all but off after the boxer failed to capture the WBA (Super) Light-Heavyweight Title against Dmitry Bivol. Abdelaziz is certain that the Mexican has wasted an opportunity by not accepting the fight with Usman first.
Ali Abdelaziz feels that Canelo's loss has not only cost him the title, but ruined the mystique around him. The boxing great was undefeated in the ring since 2013 and had amassed an undefeated streak of 16 fights. Abdelaziz thinks that Canelo stood to make a lot of money with an Usman bout before his loss to Bivol in May.
Speaking to Stan the Man at the Eagle FC 47 event, the agent was asked whether or not there's still a chance that fans could see Kamaru Usman step inside the ring against the 31-year-old.
"Canelo has become just a regular guy. He became just one of the guys. I don't think he's the pound-for-pound king anymore. For Canelo, though, his mystique is gone. When people lose their mystique, it leaves them. I respect Canelo, but I think he blew a great opportunity for him [to fight Usman]."
Even if Canelo had defeated Dmitry Bivol, fans would still be left unsure when the superfight would take place. Usman is currently recovering from hand surgery but has had complications during rehab.
Although he has assured fans he will return to the octagon this year, likely facing Leon Edwards, there is no time scale on his return to full fitness.
Watch Ali Abdelaziz discuss Canelo Alvarez versus Kamaru Usman below
Nick Diaz wants to fight Kamaru Usman for the title in his last UFC appearance
Nick Diaz has demanded a fight against Kamaru Usman for the welterweight title. Diaz only recently returned to the cage in 2021 after six years away from the sport. The Stockton-born fighter fell to a three-fight losing skid upon his return.
Diaz made a huge call by challenging the 'The Nigerian Nightmare'. Although undeserving based on the history of his latest performances, both the Diaz brothers remain some of the biggest draws in the organization.
Speaking to TMZ Sports, Nick Diaz revealed that he's aiming to return to the octagon before the end of 2022 and that he'd like to fight Kamaru Usman instead of an up-and-comer.
"I'd rather fight for the title. Yeah, if I'm gonna fight, I wanna fight for the title. Yeah, and here's the thing, they wanna say I have to fight a bunch of guys and stuff like that, but you know what? It's a bigger fight to skip all the mess. I don't need to go in there and get my a** whooped by those young guys anyway."
Watch Nick Diaz's interview with TMZ Sports here: