Kamaru Usman plans to continue fighting, considering welterweight return

Kamaru Usman, at 39 years old and previously fighting at middleweight, is not retiring from the UFC. His manager, Ali Abdelaziz, confirmed that Usman has not been dominated in fights and remains competitive. Despite suffering a unanimous decision loss to Dricus Du Plessis on July 18, 2026, Usman has only been stopped once in his career. Abdelaziz suggests that Usman should return to welterweight for a better chance at success, pointing out potential matchups there. He mentioned that Usman was competitive even against larger opponents like Islam Makhachev, indicating his capabilities.

• 6:27 PMYahoo Sports — Kamaru Usman ‘not going to retire’ from UFC because ‘he’s not losing’ — ‘He needs to go back to welterweight’