Kamaru Usman has a vested interest in the UFC 322 main event where Jack Della Maddalena defends his title against Islam Makhachev.
After being crowned as the welterweight GOAT by Dana White recently, Usman
is ready to take back his throne after he dominated Joaquin Buckley in lopsided fashion back in June. That win, combined with his status as one of the most accomplished welterweight champions in UFC history, puts him in a very advantageous position when it comes to what’s next in the division.
That’s why Usman is staking his claim now with hopes that Della Maddalena or Makhachev is his next opponent.
“I made it clear what I want is that title back,” Usman told MMA Fighting. “That’s where I rightfully belong. Had it not been for a stupid mistake with a minute left [against Leon Edwards], I wouldn’t even say it’s a mistake, it’s a Hail Mary that just happened to work. With a minute left, we’re not having this conversation right now. It’s one of those situations. But being out and taking some time off, and really trying to heal your body and come back, I think a lot of people had questions. A lot of people were [saying] time has gone by, he’s no longer the same guy, he can’t handle these guys anymore, these new young, hungry contenders that are in the division now like Buckley. Because Buckley’s looked impressive, and he is impressive with the way he was putting these guys away, pressing forward, with what he’s done with [Colby] Covington and the guys before, it was impressive.
“So that was kind of a dangerous one to come back [to]. Because honestly, looking at the landscape of the division at the time, he was the most dangerous guy up there in the top of that division. A guy like that with power that could put you out with one shot, there was a lot of questions about whether I could still hang with these guys at the top of this division. I think I answered those questions to let them know hey, this is what I want. I want the title. Hopefully, the company feels I deserve that, I’ve earned that as well.”
As much as rankings might seem to matter, the magnitude of a particular fight often outweighs any other factor when it comes to how the UFC decides on potential championship matchups.
Usman knows his name still carries a lot of weight in the UFC but his long list of accolades certainly doesn’t hurt either. He’s headlined marquee pay-per-views more than a few times during his career and an argument could easily be made that Usman remains the biggest name in the division.
As the UFC embarks on a new broadcast deal with Paramount in 2026, White has said the promotion really wants to hit the ground running with some truly monumental events leading into the historic UFC White House card planned for June.
When it comes to the welterweight division, Usman can’t imagine anything bigger than him squaring off with a legitimate superstar like Makhachev if he’s able to become champion on Saturday.
“I think if you look at the whole company now as a whole, obviously Jon [Jones] vs. Alex [Pereira] is a humongous fight,” Usman explained. “I think maybe the return of Conor [McGregor], that’s just because it’s the return, everyone wants to answer those questions can he still fight. I think [with me and Islam] it’s obviously both former pound-for-pound [No. 1 ranked fighters], I don’t think in history it’s ever happened where they go at it. So I think that’s a humongous fight.
“I love Islam. This isn’t one of those situations where we’re coming in and I hate your uncles or I hate you. It’s pure competition of the best of the best. I think it’s the biggest for sure. You want one of those fights. You want one of those fights that really elevates the division. That really puts the division on the forefront when everyone knows there’s a welterweight matchup coming up, everyone pays attention. I think this is that fight, myself and Islam.”
Make no mistake, Usman isn’t discounting the possibility that Della Maddalena retains his title, which is why he’s not calling for any specific fight but rather just pushing for the title shot no matter who is champion after UFC 322.
“Don’t get me wrong, myself and JDM as well, that’s a big fight for the new guard going up against the old guard,” Usman said. “I think that’s a big fight as well. But I just think that we’ve never seen two pound-for-pound fighters going in there and duke it out, I think that right there’s a blockbuster, and I think it’s definitely close to the top.
“I’m not sitting here [saying] I just want Islam. No, I want the title and right now the two guys that happen to be fighting for that title are Islam and Jack. Whoever that person is, is the fight that I want. Obviously if it’s Jack, the old guard versus the new guard, it’s also still a contrast in styles. Yes, I want that fight, but if it’s Islam, that sells itself. Take my money now.”
As far as the matchup itself goes, Usman believes a lot of people are counting out Della Maddalena, which he finds rather crazy, especially after he became champion with a stunning performance to beat Belal Muhammad.
That said, Usman still sees one area of the fight where Makhachev is just dramatically better than Della Maddalena and that really could end up as the difference when they clash on Saturday.
“It’s a crazy thing to count [JDM] out,” Usman said. “I think Jack is talented. I always thought he was talented coming up in the division and with the way that he went about with his last fight, the way he looked, he looked impressive. He really put everything together.
“Now Islam — I love Islam. Islam is extremely talented, and Islam’s been phenomenal with what he’s been presented with the last five, six, seven years, however long he’s been on this streak. I think it’s a very close related fight. I don’t think one guy is just head and shoulders above the other guy but I do think there is an area where one guy could shine, and I think that would be in the grappling aspect.”
Despite just recently welcoming the UFC CEO on his podcast, Usman says he didn’t try to push for a title shot during his conversation with White but he’s made no secret about what he wants next.
The final decision won’t be made right away, but Usman truly hopes he’s the name at the top of the list when the UFC starts putting together title fights for 2026.
“It’s a conversation that needs to be had with obviously the brass, Hunter [Campbell] and these guys to kind of let you know what they think is next,” Usman said. “Because they’re running the company, they’re running a business. So it’s got to be in their hands as well.”
