“Tough Fight” For Kamaru Usman?
During an episode of the “Believe You Me” podcast, Anthony Smith chimed in on the bout, and he feels Usman may have a rough go against Chimaev (via MMAFighting.com).
“It’s a bold move, for sure,” Smith said on Believe You Me. “It says a lot about where he is mentally because I think a lot of people were kind of writing him off just a little bit and saying, ‘Oh, he’s done. He’s probably just gonna kind of fade off into retirement.’ But him wanting to fight Khamzat is the total opposite of that.
“That’s a tough fight for Kamaru if I’m just being very honest and fair with my analysis. I think what he does well kind of fits right into Khamzat’s game. I think maybe a younger less beat-up Kamaru, I think that fight’s a little bit different. He’s not as much of a wrestler as he used to be. He used to chase the takedown relentlessly. I don’t think he even has the capability to really do that anymore just with his knees and some of that stuff.”
Usman has lost two straight bouts to Leon Edwards. While a three-fight skid once seemed impossible for Usman, it’s a very real possibility. The former welterweight king is looking to remind fight fans just how elite he is.
