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Kamaru Usman broke his nearly four-year winless streak with a unanimous decision victory over Joaquin Buckley on Saturday.
The former longtime welterweight champ ended a three-fight skid by outlasting the surging Buckley in their headlining bout.
While it's unlikely Usman will get a title shot in his next fight, everyone is speculating who might be his next opponent.
SportsBetting.ag set odds for Usman's next fight, and the numbers are tight at the top.
Usman immediately suggested after his win that a matchup with former Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev would be a “blockbuster” event. Maklachev pays out $250 for every $100 bet should that come to fruition.
“Let’s be honest, I’m the biggest name in the division, and this is about entertainment- the UFC is an entertainment company,” Usman told reporters during the UFC Atlanta post-fight press conference (watch here). “If you want to make the biggest fight, it’s going to be [me] vs. the winner of JDM and Islam. If Islam pulls that one out, former pound-for-pound vs. current pound-for-pound, who doesn’t pay for that?”
And when asked if the win over Buckley earned him an immediate title shot, his response:
“Oh yeah, for sure,” Usman said. “I mean, you don’t feel like that? Who else?”
Kamaru Usman Next Opponent
Belal Muhammad +200
Islam Makhachev +250
Jack Della Maddalena +300
Shavkat Rakhmonov +400
Sean Brady +750
Ian Machado Garry +850
Joaquin Buckley +1000
Leon Edwards +1800
Michael Morales +2000
Geoff Neal +5000
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