Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is set to make his return to the octagon and has hinted at fighting Sean Brady for his comeback.
“The Nigerian Nightmare” has been out of the cage for two years, but that may soon change as the fighter has expressed interest in facing Sean Brady. Brady recently put on a stellar performance, securing a win over former champion Leon Edwards via gullitone choke. His latest victory places him in a favorable position for a title shot, but it seems he may have to face one more former champion before getting a chance at UFC gold.
Usman, who has been out of action for some time, says he is willing to fight Sean Brady despite declining callouts from fighters like Ian Garry, Shavkat Rakhmonov, and Joaquin Buckley. The Nigerian fighter believes a matchup with Brady makes more sense and could resemble his previous fight with Colby Covington.
“When you look at styles and the way fights work, myself and Colby Covington—what did everyone say? ‘Oh, they’re both wrestlers. They’re both economical fighters.’ And you saw what that turned out to be,” Usman said during a recent episode of the Pound 4 Pound podcast. “All right, we cancel each other out, we ain’t even going to try to grapple—let’s bang it out.
“Hey, this has the potential to be one of those fights. I like Sean Brady. I like the way he approaches the game, and of course, he’s training with Din Thomas now, so that adds an extra element. I like both, but I want to keep that streak of beating all of Din Thomas’ guys. I’ve whooped at least three of his guys, so I want to keep that streak going. But I like that matchup.”
Kamaru Usman last fought at UFC 294 in October 2023, stepping up on short notice for a rare middleweight appearance against Khamzat Chimaev. That night, the wrestler brought the fight to the undefeated Chechen but ultimately suffered a majority decision loss. The defeat marked Usman’s third consecutive loss, following back-to-back defeats against Leon Edwards.
After a long hiatus from the octagon, Usman may soon return in pursuit of reclaiming his title. However, in the end, the final decision will rest with UFC CEO Dana White.
