By Victor Kanayo
Nigerian-born American UFC fighter Kamaru Usman is currently gearing up for a fresh Short Notice Battle on December 7, 2024.
According to reports, Usman has now settled for a fight against Shavkhat Rakhmonov at T-moblie arena in Las Vegas.
Usman said after welterweight champion Belal Muhammad announced that he would be unable to compete due to a foot infection, creating some uncertainty around his matchup with Rakhmonov.
Although discussions about potential alternatives are ongoing, no official decisions have been made at the time of writing.
One intriguing possibility is for Rakhmonov to face former 170-pound champion Kamaru Usman for an interim title at the upcoming pay-per-view event on December 7.
Rakhmonov has expressed interest in this matchup, but the situation remains fluid.
In a recent episode of his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Henry Cejudo, Usman shared his willingness to step in on short notice but noted that UFC matchmakers had not reached out to him.
“The UFC will identify who they believe can handle that challenge and perform well under those circumstances. If they call me, I’ll be ready to discuss everything and see if we can make it happen. I embrace those kinds of opportunities,” Usman stated.
Usman who has a professional record of 20 wins and 4 losses (15-3 in the UFC), has a history of accepting short-notice fights.
During his championship run, he took on Jorge Masvidal with only six days’ notice in July 2020 at UFC 251.
Last year, he stepped in with less than two weeks’ notice to face Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294.
Usman secured a unanimous decision win over Masvidal but faced a majority decision loss against Chimaev.
At 37 years old, Usman is currently on a three-fight losing streak and has not competed since his bout with Chimaev in October 2023.
Before that, he suffered consecutive losses in title fights against Leon Edwards, losing his belt by fifth-round knockout at UFC 278, and then falling short in a majority decision in their rematch (trilogy) at UFC 286.
