UFC 294 Aftermath: Kamaru Usman Poses Interesting Question Following Loss to Khamzat Chimaev
Kamaru Usman is left to mull over how his UFC 294 fight with Khamzat Chimaev could have gone.
When the opening round of the Chimaev vs. Usman fight came to a close, many fans believed this one would be one-way traffic in favor of "Borz." That idea was thrown out the window, as Usman turned up the heat in the second round. Usman's crisp boxing forced the savvy Chimaev to go to the well with takedowns.
While Usman found himself on his back, he remained competitive, finding ways to get back to his feet. Once the fight went the distance, the judges were called upon to deliver the final decision. "Borz" emerged victorious over "The Nigerian Nightmare" via majority decision.
Following the loss to Khamzat Chimaev, Kamaru Usman spoke with ESPN's Megan Olivi. He asked the very intriguing question of what would've happened if the fight went five rounds.
"Coming off the couch in 10 days and fighting a young, hungry bull like that who's big and strong, he had a year and a half to really grow into this weight class, and I didn't. I think I didn't trust my shape. I'm a championship fighter, and you can't start slow like that. I say give me a couple extra rounds, I think the world knows what that result might be."
Usman stepped into this fight on short notice. The former UFC welterweight champion was called upon once Paulo Costa was removed from the bout after undergoing elbow surgery.
Here is ESPN's full video interview with Kamaru Usman:
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VIDEO: PAULO COSTA ATTACKED BY CROWD AT UFC 294
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