"Kamaru Usman has never shared the mat with Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev despite being close friends with them. Usman is currently rallying for a welterweight title fight against Makhachev. Many believe the matchup is being plotted by their common manager, Ali Abdelaziz. Courtesy of Abdelaziz, Usman is a close friend of Makhachev and his mentor, Nurmagomedov. However, "The Nigerian Nightmare" surprisingly revealed that he never had the opportunity of training with either Makhachev or Nurmagomedov."
""I love Islam," Usman told The Schmo. "We actually haven't been able to train together... I want to show the world that I'm still the best in the world right now... We've never trained. We're good friends. Funny, [I never trained with Khabib] as well. I'm just very close with those guys. Obviously, we're in the fight sport where people think there has to be animosity. Obviously, competitiveness sometimes looks like animosity.""
"Makhachev won the welterweight title in dominant manner against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 this past November. The welterweight division is currently teeming with fresh contenders like Michael Morales, Carlos Prates, Ian Garry and Shavkat Rakhmonov. However, Makhachev has expressed interest in defending his title against Usman. Makhachev believes the former welterweight champion still walks through most of the up-and-coming contenders."
Kamaru Usman has never trained with Khabib Nurmagomedov or Islam Makhachev despite being close friends and sharing a manager, Ali Abdelaziz. Usman is campaigning for a welterweight title fight against Makhachev, who won the title dominantly over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322. Makhachev has expressed interest in defending his title against Usman, believing Usman still outmatches many contenders. Usman recently returned from a 20-month layoff to defeat Joaquin Buckley by unanimous decision in June 2025, marking his first win since 2021. The welterweight division features rising talents such as Michael Morales, Carlos Prates, Ian Garry, and Shavkat Rakhmonov.
Read at Sherdog
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]