Outside Source
Usman is currently rallying for a welterweight title fight against Makhachev. Many believe the matchup is being plotted by their common manager, Ali Abdelaziz. Courtesy of Abdelaziz, Usman is a close friend of Makhachev and his mentor, Nurmagomedov. However, “The Nigerian Nightmare” surprisingly revealed that he never had the opportunity of training with either Makhachev or Nurmagomedov.
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Competition Over Animosity
“I love Islam,” Usman told The Schmo. “We actually haven’t been able to train together… I want to show the world that I’m still the best in the world right now… We’ve never trained. We’re good friends. Funny, [I never trained with Khabib] as well. I’m just very close with those guys. Obviously, we’re in the fight sport where people think there has to be animosity. Obviously, competitiveness sometimes looks like animosity.”
Makhachev won the welterweight title in dominant manner against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 this past November. The welterweight division is currently teeming with fresh contenders like Michael Morales, Carlos Prates, Ian Garry and Shavkat Rakhmonov. However, Makhachev has expressed interest in defending his title against Usman. Makhachev believes the former welterweight champion still walks through most of the up-and-coming contenders.
Meanwhile, Usman (21-4) is coming off a unanimous decision win over Joaquin Buckley in June 2025 that also marked his return to action after 20 months. Usman’s win over Buckley was also his first since 2021.
Kamaru Usman reveals he has never trained with Khabib or Islam Makhachev
“I love Islam. We actually haven’t been able to train together. I want to show the world that I’m still the best in the world right now. We’ve never trained – we’re good friends. I never trained with Khabib… pic.twitter.com/2pEXSv24dJ
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) January 26, 2026
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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