When will Kamaru Usman be medically eligible to fight again?
UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman could be out of action until August 13, 2021, following his successful title defense against Gilbert Burns at UFC 258.
It is difficult to compete at the highest level in combat sports and it is even more difficult to leave the arena without inflicting damage on oneself. Based on the medical suspensions issued by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and published by mixedmartialarts.com, Kamaru Usman will not be eligible to fight again until mid-August unless he provides a negative X-Ray of his right foot and gets cleared by a Sports doctor or orthopedic. In the event of a negative X-ray, The Nigerian Nightmare will be suspended until March 16 with strict no contact until March 7, 2021.
Kamaru Usman sustained a foot injury in the third successful defense of his title against former teammate and No.1 ranked welterweight contender, Gilbert Burns, at the UFC 258 PPV event. After getting his bells rung early in the fight, Usman kept his composure and slowly picked Burns apart with a strong jab, courtesy of his new head coach Trevor Wittman. Durinho never recovered from the sustained assault and was knocked out 34 seconds into the third round.
With the win over Burns, Kamaru Usman extended his winning streak to 13 fights, the longest in the history of the Welterweight division.
Kamaru Usman's medical suspension might hold up the Welterweight division
No.1 ranked Welterweight contender Gilbert Burns' loss to Kamaru Usman has automatically opened the doors of opportunity for the likes of Leon Edwards, Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington.
Following Khamzat Chimaev's withdrawal from his scheduled fight against Edwards, all three of the top-ranked fighters have shown interest in fighting each other to earn a shot at the title.
Considering Colby Covington and Leon Edwards' record and Jorge Masvidal's huge fan following, it is undeniable that each one of them is just a win away from the title shot.
Kamaru Usman defeated Masvidal, Covington and Edwards previously but no love has been lost between the champ and his former opponents. Routine social media interactions between these fighters and their place in the rankings make it clear that Usman will end up fighting one of these fighters in the next defense of his Welterweight title.
But if Kamaru Usman is forced to remain on the sidelines until August due to his foot injury, the momentous Welterweight division may get held up in its place.