Kamaru
Usman is weighing options regarding his future in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.
After suffering a one-sided loss to Dricus Du
Plessis in the
UFC Oklahoma City main event, the former welterweight champion
admitted that retirement is now a legitimate possibility as he
evaluates the next step in his career.
Kamaru Usman discusses retirement, Dricus Du Plessis loss and
his UFC future
Usman plans to consult his coaches before making a decision on his
future. The Nigerian-American revealed that retirement is very much
on the cards after his recent defeat.
“Right now, I just have to sit with the coaches, sit with the team,
assess everything,†Usman said on the “Pound 4 Pound” podcast.
“Assess the place where I'm at in my career. Just all in all, see
whether it's worth continuing to do this. Whether it's worth
continuing to put them through that.â€
Usman explained that while previous defeats still left him with
positives to build on, the loss to du Plessis felt different. He
cited his knockout loss to Leon
Edwards, the short-notice defeat against Khamzat
Chimaev and the Edwards trilogy bout as performances in which
he still believes he represented himself well.
“This one was a hard one because I felt like I didn't do that,â€
Usman said. “There was something to build off of for those fights.
This one, to the untrained eye, looks like I bit off more than I
could chew. Even though I may not feel that on the inside, it
looked that way and I don't like that.â€
Having accomplished so much in his career, Usman admits it’s
difficult to leave the sport behind after experiencing the highest
highs.
“This is just as difficult a place to be when we've achieved so
much and you've got so many highs in the sport,†the 39-year-old
added. “When you start to feel the lows, it's not that great… It
puts you in a really difficult and really tough place to make a
tough and potentially permanent decision.â€
Raoni
Barcelos says medical testing has yet to determine why he lost
consciousness during his
Ultimate Fighting Championship headliner against Raul Rosas
Jr.
Barcelos faced Rosas Jr. in the main event of
UFC Vegas 121 last month. The Brazilian led on the judges'
scorecards entering the fifth round but lost consciousness during a
grappling exchange against the fence. Rosas Jr. was awarded a
technical knockout victory, and the 39-year-old Barcelos was
transported to a Level 1 trauma center.
Raoni Barcelos undergoes medical tests after losing
consciousness against Raul Rosas Jr. at UFC Vegas 121
Barcelos said he is undergoing tests in Las Vegas to determine what
happened. He hopes to continue fighting but has not ruled out
retirement.
“Unfortunately, we don't know what happened,†Barcelos told MMA
Fighting. “It was a sudden illness. I fell ill and I felt my whole
body really starting to go numb. After that, I don't remember
anything. I only remember [arriving] in the ambulance, asking my
father what happened, and him trying to explain it as best as he
could. It really was an unfortunate [circumstance]. I got sick and
to this day we still don't understand. I'm undergoing a battery of
tests here in [Las] Vegas. I had another on Monday and we're
waiting for a good result. The doctor hasn't released the results
yet and everything is being kept confidential. But I feel better
every day.â€
Barcelos (22-6) entered the bout on a five-fight winning streak. He
has competed in the UFC since 2018, compiling an 11-5 promotional
record with victories over Said
Nurmagomedov, Cody
Garbrandt and Payton
Talbott.
Raoni
Barcelos is still waiting for a diagnosis after his mysterious
health scare: “We don't know what happened. It was a sudden
illness. I fell ill, and I felt my whole body really starting to go
numb. After that, I don't remember anything.” (🎥 @guicruzzz)
https://t.co/dVJzTkkBkl
MMA Fighting has Brand Risk 16 results for the West vs. Beasley fight card and more from the Brand Risk Warehouse in Miami, Fla., on Friday night.
In the most notable fight, NBA veterans Delonte West and Michael Beasley clash in a heavyweight boxing fight.
Deshae Frost and YK Osiris is the new main event after Wendy Ortiz failed to clear medicals for the Florida State Athletic Commission to postpone her clash against Yera, according to a statement by Brand Risk.
The fight between King Azoulay and Supa Hot Fire was not approved by the commission as well.
Darren Till gets honest about his performance in win over Yoel Romero
Jasmine Jasudavicius is looking to cement herself as a title contender at UFC Edmonton.
Jasudavicius is set to take on Erin Blanchfield in the co-main event of UFC Edmonton. Jasudavicius enters the bout as a +255 underdog while the American is a -350 favorite on FanDuel. The fight was supposed to happen at UFC 330 in August, but an injury to Blanchfield delayed it to August. Although the Canadian was frustrated to have the fight postponed, she is ecstatic for it to be taking place in Edmonton now.
“That is exactly it. It was like two weeks out that I heard it was being moved,†Jasudavicius said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “Initially, I was so frustrated because I just put in a whole camp. I was ready, my weight was good, and I was firing on all cylinders. It got moved, and at least we are fighting in Canada now. This works out even better.â€
With extra time, Jasudavicius said she did take some time off to avoid burnout. But she also feels like the extra time will only help her, as she knows Blanchfield is one of the best in the world.
“She's talented; she's one of the top fighters in the world. I won't be talking too much shit. She's skilled, but I know how skilled I am, and I am ready to test myself against the best girls in the world,†Jasudavicius said.
Jasmine Jasudavicius hopeful to earn title shot at UFC Edmonton
Although Jasudavicius is an underdog, she has full confidence in her skillset. She believes she is better on the feet. So, she expects Blanchfield to try and wrestle her a ton, especially once she lands a couple of punches.
If Jasudavicius can turn Blanchfield into just a wrestler, she is confident she will be able to pull off the upset win at UFC Edmonton.
“I'm not too sure. I've watched all of her fights, and it's not like she's going to the wrestling right away; she is comfortable with striking. But I do think once she feels these hands, she will be shooting a little bit more. … My hand will be raised at the end of the night,†Jasudavicius said.
If Jasudavicius gets her hand raised, she believes it will cement her as a title contender at flyweight. And, it would set up a rematch with Natalia Silva, which the Canadian would be thrilled to get the chance to not only avenge her loss, but to take the belt off her.
“It would mean a lot; it's a big milestone,†Jasudavicius concluded. “Just getting into the UFC is a big deal; getting 10 fights in the UFC is a big deal; to get 10 wins is another feather in my cap. … That would be my dream. She gave me the lost which hurt, so if I can take the belt off her, it would fulfill me. I show well, say I finish Blanchfield, it would be me in the talks to get a title shot.â€
Do you think Jasmine Jasudavicius will beat Erin Blanchfield at UFC Edmonton?