"He has started to take food off my plate" - Kamaru Usman jokes that he is mad at Khabib Nurmagomedov for starting 165 lb division
Kamaru Usman joked that Khabib Nurmagomedov's decision to introduce the 165 lb division in Eagle FC would leave him short of contenders. Kevin Lee and Diego Sanchez recently competed in that weight class in the main event of Eagle FC 46, where Lee won via unanimous decision.
At the press conference for Eagle FC 48, Nurmagomedov stated that it was easy for a promoter to make such decisions. 'The Eagle' confirmed that when he was a fighter, he was really interested in a 165 lb division.
During the Eagle FC 46 pre-fight show, welterweight champion Kamaru Usman joked that the UFC could likewise open the weight class, leaving him short of opponents:
"I'm kinda really mad at Khabib for being the first to really step out here and do this because now he has started to take food off my plate. You're starting something and it might spread like wildfire and the UFC might decide to adopt this. And now I'm starting to lose contenders."
Check out Kamaru Usman's comments on the 165 lb division below:
'The Nigerian Nightmare' did admit that he is excited about the development. He reckons that there are fighters who are in the middle of two weight divisions – lightweight and welterweight – who now have an opportunity to excel.
Ali Abdelaziz thinks Kamaru Usman can knock out Canelo Alvarez in three rounds
Ali Abdelaziz manages Kamaru Usman and an array of other high-profile fighters. He is also not shy of voicing his opinions. The Dominance MMA chief thinks 'The Nigerian Nightmare' can knock out boxing great Canelo Alvarez inside of three rounds.
Despite UFC president Dana White not being on board with the idea just yet, Abdelaziz seems to like Usman’s chances against Alvarez.
In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, he opined:
“Kamaru will knock him out in three rounds. You cannot say no to Kamaru. He’s a guy who comes from Africa. He jumped a lot of obstacles. I believe in Kamaru. This is the difference between me and other people. I believe in him, I live with him, I breathe with him, I die with him, I fight with him. He’s a special person in my life."
Check out Ali Abdelaziz's interview with MMA Junkie below:
Usman is on a 19-fight win streak in MMA and hasn’t lost since his second professional bout in May 2013. He’s successfully defended his UFC welterweight title five times with two wins each over Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal.