Kamaru Usman is currently undefeated under the UFC banner, with a record of 4-0-0 in the promotion. Also the winner of The Ultimate Fighter 21, Usman wants to make things easier for the UFC, so he’s planning his own fight schedule.
“Every outside ranking other than the UFC, I’m sitting about 16 or 17,” Usman told MMA Junkie Radio. “So I think it’s literally four fights [until he becomes champion]. I want to fight Dong Hyun Kim next. I think I’ll beat the brakes off him. And then I want Neil Magny, and don’t get me started on that. I think I will run him over. And if Demian Maia is still hanging around and he wants it, of course, he didn’t want the fight. I already asked him for the fight, if he wanted to make easy money, but no. If he feels like I’m easy prey, I’ll be happy to take him on.”
Usman believes he can become a star for the UFC, but the promotion may not feel the same way about him.
“We’ve had talks, but for some reason, they’re skeptical about building someone, or throwing someone out there,” Usman said. “They’re like, we don’t want to push you too soon. No. If I’m asking you to push me, that means I’m ready. Push me, dammit. A lot of times, the matchmakers, and [UFC President] Dana [White], they’re not in your camp. They don’t see me practicing every day. They don’t know what I’m capable of doing. And this is a quote that Rashad [Evans] told me: You’re only as good as your last fight. So that’s all they see.”
Usman’s four wins under the UFC banner have come over Hayder Hassan, Leon Edwards, Alexander Yakovlev and Warlley Alves. Usman handles Titan FC color commentary duties alongside Fightful.com's Showdown Joe.
