Kamaru Usman says Jan Blachowicz is "nothing he can't handle"
Jan Blachowicz and Kamaru Usman had a staredown backstage while in attendance at UFC 276. Usman recently posted a picture of the stand-off, claiming the former light heavyweight champion is "nothing he can't handle". 'The Nigerian Nightmare' also took a dig at the Pole's shaky english. The UFC welterweight king wrote on Instagram:
"Nothing I can’t Handle… But first the English 👊🏿🌍 #AndStill #P4P"
Kamaru Usman initially contemplated a light heavyweight move, leapfrogging the middleweight division, when Jan Blachowicz was the champion at 205 lbs. However, the Pole was dethroned by Glover Teixeira in his first title defense at UFC 268.
Teixeira recently lost his strap to Jiri Prochazka at the UFC 275 headliner that saw 'Denisa' score a stunning comeback victory with less than half a minute left in the bout. Usman's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, was unimpressed and claimed that the welterweight champon could beat the top three ranked light heavyweights.
Blachowicz is coming off a third-round TKO win over top contender Aleksandar Rakic. Following his recent staredown with Usman, the former champion stated that he likes to hunt monsters like 'The Nigerian Nightmare'.
So, you say people call you "The Nigerian Nightmare"... a monster. Good. I hunt monsters. Makes no difference how scary they are.
#JanTheWitcher #JB13 #LegendaryPolishPower https://t.co/q62LSveedZ
Jiri Prochazka is also open to a potential fight against Kamaru Usman
In a recent interview with The Schmo, Jiri Prochazka expressed interest in a potential outing against Kamaru Usman. 'Denisa' is lured by the challenge that Usman brings in, being from a different weight class. The UFC light-heavyweight champion told The Schmo:
"I like to challenge myself. And this is good challenge because it is another weight class. I don't believe in weight classes. Because everytime it's just about the strongest man on the planet. That's what I'm looking for."
Watch Prochazka's interview with The Schmo below:
Prochazka, however, insisted that all exotic 'challenges' would only be considered after he defends his throne at 205 lbs. He will likely choose between a rematch with Teixeira or a 'Battle for Europe' against Jan Blachowicz.
Usman, meanwhile, is scheduled to defend his strap against Leon Edwards in a rematch at UFC 278 on August 20. Their first encounter dating back to 2015 ended in a lopsided decision win for 'The Nigerian Nightmare'.