The much-anticipated UFC 294 will be taking place inside the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The two main fights of the card have undergone some major last-minute changes but according to the fans, these changes have made the card better. In a recently posted video, two of the fighters from the card, Islam Makhachev and Kamaru Usman are having a wholesome interaction. However, in the video lightweight Makhachev looks bigger than the middleweight Usman.
In the video, both Kamaru Usman & Islam Makhachev met each other in Abu Dhabi with Usman looking smaller at around 185lbs. “I wanna cut, ’cause it’s different now, extra fifteen pounds, you have to fight with that weight, I’ll cut a little bit,” said Usman to Islam and his team. Usman then commented on Islam’s size when he said, “Look, he’s a welterweight, damn.”
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Surprisingly, the 5ft 10in tall Makhachev is looking bigger than the 6ft tall Usman. Many fans believe that it is due to the weird camera angle while others are concerned because he is looking smaller than he used to look at welterweight.
Will Kamaru Usman’s knees hold up against Khamzat Chimaev?
MMA fans all around the world have raised their concern over Kamaru Usman’s bad knees. According to UFC announcer, Joe Rogan his knees are completely destroyed. “He is in constant pain, he fights in pain,” said Rogan. “His knees are so f****d up that he walks downstairs backward,” explains Rogan to Jamahal Hill during the JRE podcast.
Furthermore, Joe Rogan said that Usman told him that he had to walk on grass whenever he was next to the sidewalk as the concrete hurt him. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ has had knee-related issues since his match against Tyron Woodley back in 2019. Since Kamaru has spoken about his knee injury in public it can be used against him.
Kamaru Usman’s knees are so bad that he can’t even walk on concrete???? pic.twitter.com/pmCWQggmIw
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) February 13, 2023
Usman will be moving up to a bigger weight division for his fight against Khamzat Chimaev. The added extra weight in the 185lbs division can be a very big problem for his already damaged knees. Furthermore, Chimaev will definitely utilize this weakness of Usman.
Current bantamweight champion, Sean O’Malley was critical of Kamaru Usman for sharing the details about his knee injury during the JRE podcast. “I think if you’re a fighter and you’ve got some real injuries, keep that s**t under wrap,” said Suga Sean. Furthermore, he explains how your opponent can exploit your injury and have an edge over you.
Do you think Kamaru Usman’s knee can hold up in a heavier-weight class? Let us know in the comments below.