Kamaru Usman Light Heavyweight: UFC veteran says 'he's too small'

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Kamaru Usman Light Heavyweight Move: UFC veteran says 'he's too small'

By Jake Skudder

Published Jul 20, 2022

Here is what a UFC veteran has said with regards to Kamaru Usman wanting to make a move up to the 205-pound/Light Heavyweight division.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 06: Kamaru Usman smiles against Colby Covington in their welterweight title bout during the UFC 268 event at Madison Square Garden on November 06, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman recently revealed that he is planning a move to the Light Heavyweight division, and a UFC veteran recently commented on the situation, saying that he is far ‘too small’ to be considering such a massive jump in weight class.

Whilst we have seen fighters move up in class as champions in the past, with Daniel Cormier, Conor McGregor, Amanda Nunes and Henry Cejudo all becoming champ-champs, we’ve never seen some skip a division to try and become a concurrent title holder.

Usman does not want to go to Middleweight to fight 185-pound Champion Israel Adesanya, due to the respect they have for each other, explaining why the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ is considering the huge weight jump.

Here is what a UFC veteran has said with regards to Kamaru Usman wanting to make a move up to the 205-pound/Light Heavyweight division.

Kamaru Usman at 205 Pounds

Kamaru Usman is the current UFC welterweight champion

Speaking on his The Schaub Show podcast (via Sportskeeda), Brendan Schaub said that Usman is just ‘far too small’ to be making that big of a move.

He said: "I don't get it. He's so small...Him vs. Jiri? What?! His lower body is what's not light-heavyweight. His lower body is lightweight.”

Schaub would however say that he could somehow see a bout between Usman and Jan Blachowicz: "That match-up's not like crazy. Jan's a big 205-er. Really big. I wonder if the power would be an issue. Jan's power. But then the speed, the cardio, the movement of Kamaru, I don't get it. Jumping up two weight classes? I wonder if the UFC would be down to do that.”

Usman on Light Heavyweight Move

UFC 261: Usman v Masvidal 2 — JACKSONVILLE, FL - APRIL 25: Kamaru Usman of Nigeria walk out during introductions to fight Jorge Masvidal of the United States during the Welterweight Title bout of UFC 261 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on April 25, 2021 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Alex Menendez/Getty Images)

JACKSONVILLE, FL - APRIL 25: Kamaru Usman of Nigeria walk out during introductions to fight Jorge Masvidal of the United States during the Welterweight Title bout of UFC 261 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on April 25, 2021 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Alex Menendez/Getty Images)

Speaking in a prior interview (via BJPenn.com), Usman said: “We’re gonna go in there and we’re completely focused on Leon Edwards. But after Leon Edwards, we have our sights set on [lght-heavyweight], whether it’s Jan or whether it’s Jiri, whoever it is, that’s what we want.

“I want to prove to the world that there’s a reason why they say pound-for-pound. That means pound-for-pound at any given time, any given moment, any given weight, I can go in there and not only hold my own, but I can also be victorious. I wanna be able to prove that.”

It remains to be seen if Usman will get the chance to move up in weight class, but first, he will have to get past Leon Edwards at UFC 278.

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