If successful, his plan is to vacate the belt quickly and move up to middleweight — where a potential rematch against Chimaev could await as his farewell fight.Kamaru Usman has reached the top of the mountain in the UFC’s welterweight fold — and he wants to step away from the sport in a manner befitting a former world champion.
Riding the momentum from a dominant win over Joaquin Buckley at UFC Atlanta, the 38-year-old has charted a bold retirement plan: reclaim his 170-pound crown, vacate it, then chase a middleweight title before hanging up the gloves.
He laid out the strategy plainly: “The next part of my career – the dream scenario is: next fight, win the welterweight title. Vacate. Win the middleweight title. Retire. Just boom boom, one-two, and then we’re done,” Usman said.
Usman’s comeback win snapped a three-fight losing streak to Leon Edwards (twice) and Khamzat Chimaev.
He suggested he’ll likely target the winner of the upcoming welterweight title fight between Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev as his next opponent.
If successful, his plan is to vacate the belt quickly and move up to middleweight — where a potential rematch against Chimaev could await as his farewell fight.
Whether or not he can pull it off, Usman’s scheme would make him one of the few athletes to exit the sport having held titles in two divisions — a cinematic finale few fighters ever attempt.
