What Does Current 36-Year Old Usman Bring to MW

[mkt]

I'm not being negative here. I still think he's a very good fighter. But neither he nor Khamzat have faced an official Top 10 MW yet. So what does current Usman bring to the table at 185? A few intro thoughts

• He mostly seems to be a sprawl-n-brawl striker at this point. He hasn't done much offensive wrestling in the last 4 years or so. Even against Masvidal (first fight) he mostly held him against the cage. I guess that's technically part of Randy Couture's "wall-n-stall" wrestling style, but not traditional MMA wrestling on the ground.
• When he won the WW title, he outwrestled a champ who was a former D1 wrestler. That was his major skillset at the time but i don't think it is now, especially with bad knees against bigger 185 pounders. So again, I see him as a striker who mostly uses his wrestling defensively now.
• In his fights with Colby, he showed really good cardio in keeping up with Colby's striking output, something few other fighters could do. Can he still do that at age 36? If he wants to stand with Strickland and can't KO him, he better have amazing cardio to win.
• Usman has a few KOs and started to look like a KO machine in the Masvidal rematch and Burns fight, but not so much since then. Is this a possibility? I doubt it. Big KO power is a great asset for older fights, but I just don't see him turning into a late-stage Hendo or Yoel. Maybe I'm wrong. We'll see.

 

[mjoln]

Weak knees

Edit. I meant knees weak, arms heavy, mom's spaghetti

 

[HNIC215]

Not much but some exciting matchups we haven’t seen yet.

What does 36 year old welterweight Usman bring to a division he’s been dominating for years - with a list of fighters he’s already beaten?

 

[mkt]

Not much but some exciting matchups we haven’t seen yet.

What does 36 year old welterweight Usman bring to a division he’s been dominating for years - with a list of fighters he’s already beaten?

That depends...some new blood in that division he's never fought. he won't be fighting Masvidal, RDA, etc. if he goes back to 170.

 

[Black Blood]

A name.

I bet he gets paid pretty good and gets to eat more.

 

[Bruce Lee666]

Usman doesn't need to prove anything to anyone anymore, I think it's time for him to retire and enjoy life.

I don't want to see him lose brutally like happened to Couture when he fought at a very old age.

Usman seems too slow now.

 

[Kohelet]

yes he is old should retire

 

[Dimbis]

I don’t know. Let’s wait and see a fight after full middleweight camp.

 

[Bruce Lee666]

A name.

I bet he gets paid pretty good and gets to eat more.

Dana will use Usman to feed the New lions It's not worth.

 

[Human Bass]

Usman vs Aliskerov would be a great fight, but I dont think he wants more russians with great grappling lol

 

[DOMMA]

I agree, I think he should retire but it is his decision. I'm sure he would like to go out with a win. I think he gets lit up by the top 5 185ers but may be competitive with the 6 - 10 guys. He is old and past his prime, may only have 1- 2 good scraps left.

 

[mjfan23]

He had the best defensive wrestling stats in ufc history just cause he ran into khamzat and got owned in wrestling doesn’t mean others at MW will have any such advantage over him.

Also USADA is leaving. Ceo of EPO will be back!!

 

[jx820]

He can bring a lingering bit of credibility that can be used to put over some up and comers and filter out the weaker competition. He can be to 185 what RDA was to WW.

I don't imagine he can be a contender.

 

[Bruce Lee666]

He had the best defensive wrestling stats in ufc history just cause he ran into khamzat and got owned in wrestling doesn’t mean others at MW will have any such advantage over him.

Also USADA is leaving. Ceo of EPO will be back!!

Leon a striker Takedown Usman he's becoming old Wrestling gets worse with age.

If Leon beat Him I'm afraid of what the Top 5 of MW can do to Him.

 

[Bruce Lee666]

I just doesn't want see Usman get Destroyed in the end of his carrer he's not in his Prime anymore.

 

[Bruce Lee666]

I don't want see another BJ Peen fall.

 

[chinarice]

Usman vs Paula is the perfect fight since that bozo will continue to be on the roster

 

[mjfan23]

Leon a striker Takedown Usman he's becoming old Wrestling gets worse with age.

If Leon beat Him I'm afraid of what the Top 5 of MW can do to Him.

Top MWs like Sean Strickland and Rob Whitaker who couldn’t succeed at WW?

how many takedowns did Leon land on usman in their thirteen rounds? One!?! Huge wrestling advantage to Leon lol

 

[Killer Kadoogan]

considering he went the distance with the guy whos getting a title shot, and IMO, beat him rounds 2 and 3, on short fucking notice, i would think, a helluva lot. especially with a real fucking fight camp, and no USADA.

 

[nately]

He's a gatekeeper with a big name. He will allow rising stars to be hyped as having "defeated a former champion."