Dana White calls ‘bulls**t’ on rumored Kamaru Usman vs. Khamzat Chimaev fight

Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman (20-3 MMA) won’t be challenging Khamzat Chimaev (12-0 MMA) in his next fight, regardless of weight class, according to Dana White.

The UFC President discussed the rumored fight in a recent interview with Aaron Bronsteter of TSN ahead of UFC 289 Saturday night.

Dana White did not specify who would be next for either man, as Usman is coming off a second-straight loss to Leon Edwards in March. Meanwhile, Chimaev, who has competed at welterweight and middleweight, made quick work of Kevin Holland in his last outing at UFC 279, winning via first-round d’arce choke.

“No, completely not true,” White said. “Bulls**t. We have a plan for Khamzat, and when we’re ready to announce it, we will.”

As for Usman, White was blunt about what could be next for him.

“I don’t know what Usman’s gonna do right now,” Dana White said. “Usman’s still making some decisions, you know. He wants to fight Khamzat but doesn’t want to fight at [185], and I’m not doing a catchweight.”

Quotes were transcribed via MMA News and TSN.

The rumored fight started growing when YouTuber and content creator Adin Ross answered a question regarding an upcoming UFC event, confidently saying that Usman would fight Chimaev later this year, going as far as saying the bout would take place on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi (UFC 294 in October).

Nonetheless, the welterweight division will move forward as scheduled, with Edwards likely taking on Covington in his second defense of his welterweight title. The fight neither has a venue nor date attached to it at press time, as the UFC’s fall schedule is still getting worked on.

Usman held the welterweight strap for over four years, as he defeated the likes of Tyron Woodley, Colby Covington (x2), Jorge Masvidal (x2), and Gilbert Burns, to name a few. Chimaev signed with the UFC in 2020 and has gone 6-0 in the promotion since, with his most notable win coming against Burns in April 2022.

Who do you think would win in a potential fight, Kamaru Usman or Khamzat Chimaev?