Here’s a food for thought – Can surging welterweight prospect, Shavkat Rakhmonov (18-0) get people in the arena like Kamaru Usman? Well, According to Daniel Cormier, the answer is a simple no!
Before UFC 304 in Manchester, there was a certain notion that the winner of the title fight would be pitted against undefeated Kazakh killer, Shavkat Rakhmonov. However, with Belal Muhammad dethroning Leon Edwards for the belt and former champion Kamaru Usman having found new motivation, ‘DC’ claimed that the conversation has changed.
In fact, the UFC commentator believes that before Rakhmonov gets a crack at the title, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’s’ stardom will prompt the UFC to give the shot to the former champion. Explaining his thoughts on his YouTube channel, DC said,
“I say, no because he (Shavkat) just hadn’t had that opportunity to show it against anyone that will elevate him. He has not gotten that chance yet. So, I don’t know that the first title defense need to be a between a guy, if we being honest Belal (Muhammad) is just now starting to resonate with fans and another guy who hasn’t crossed over just yet (Shavkat Rakhmonov). You always got to have established star. And guess who this established star is – Kamaru Usman.”
⚡️🇳🇬Daniel Cormier believes Kamaru Usman will fight for the Welterweight title next.
" i don't know does the first title defense need to be a between a guy, if we being honest Belal [Muhammad] is just now starting to resonate with fans and another guy who hasn't crossed over… pic.twitter.com/tcoTofJSmL
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) August 9, 2024
Interestingly, Cormier has a valid point here. Rakhmonov might be tearing through the division, beating the brakes of people like Stephen Thompson and Geoff Neal, but he hasn’t yet had a chance to prove his mettle against a high-level opponent like Usman or Belal.
Considering that angle, DC pointed his finger at Usman as the next guy in line to challenge for the belt given his star power and his blistering run in the UFC. Hence, fans might have to wait a bit longer to see the Kazakh fighter against the top of the crop.
In the meantime, the plot is thickening after Belal and Usman traded shots online, giving way to a new storyline. In fact, Usman slapped back at the Illinois native, denouncing him as a ‘bum’ who was nowhere in the standings while he was running through it.
Usman rips into Belal; finds newly added “motivation” after UFC 304
UFC 304 wasn’t everybody’s cup of tea. While the fandom expected an absolute banger of a fight card, the event underperformed mainly because most of the bouts ended up in decisions, including the main-event WW title fight between Belal and Edwards. Still, the Palestinian-American’s performance was dominant enough to dethrone the champ.
However, what surprised many was how Belal followed his win up with scathing attacks on Usman. While the scene would be glorious for Belal if he were to win against Usman, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ is back in the gym, honing his skills to reclaim his lost crown. He revealed his mind in his new Vlog series ‘Road Back to Gold,’ saying,
“Like I said, the biggest thing for me is [about] getting healthy, so if I can get this healthy and get this body right, I told you, I’m the best in the world.I just got to get my body right… So, post-champion, post-new champion, first workout, first day [back] in the gym, and obviously when something like that happens, it gives you a new added motivation – I was never not motivated, it’s just getting the health in order.”
In addition to that, Usman called Belal a “bum,” before highlighting the fact that he was the champion long before the Illinois native even made it to the rankings. Now, this will fane the flames and probably set a new storyline in the WW division.
