"We're completely different flavors"- Kamaru Usman talks about why he'd never go up to fight Israel Adesanya
Sitting down with BT Sport ahead of his fight against Leon Edwards on August 20, Kamaru Usman explained why he would never entertain the thought of going up to middleweight and facing Israel Adesanya for the 185lbs title.
'The Nigerian Nightmare' has been almost flawless in his UFC career thus far and carries an unbeaten 15-fight run since joining the promotion on the back of The Ultimate Fighter 21 in 2015. Despite being known for his wrestling, the 170lber has developed his striking to a point where fighters fear exchanging on the feet.
Speaking about the possibility of pushing for a second title, Kamaru Usman shut down any possibility of him competing for the middleweight strap as long as Israel Adesanya remains champion.
"It's bigger than just sport, because I didn't grow up seeing this. I never grew up and saw I could be an MMA fighter and be the world champion... But kids now get the privilege of seeing that. And not just one champion, you have two, and we're different flavors, we're completely different flavors.
"Izzy does it with his flair... And I do it with my style. This is just different styles for them to be able to see and pick from... That means more to me, having two Nigerian champions than just one."
Both Nigerians have publicly stated their disinterest in a fight with one another, with the athletes preferring to be role models for the younger generation of African fighters.
Check out what 'The Nigerian Nightmare' had to say about the importance of having multiple African champions in the video below:
How would Israel Adesanya vs. Kamaru Usman play out?
While it looks extremely unlikely that the two will ever stand across the octagon and compete against one another, it's hard not to imagine just how a fight between the two would play out.
Israel Adesanya is known for his mastery of range, striking, and his ability to grind out victories if he is unable to knock his opponent out. Something 'The Last Stylebender' isn't credited with much is his ability to damage wrestlers' gameplans.
On the feet, Kamaru Usman has made incredible strides, but is still miles behind his Nigerian counterpart in the striking department. If he were to be successful in the superfight, he would have to implement his elite-level grappling with his devastating power, meaning both competitors have ways to get their hands raised.