Kamaru Usman Outlines His Retirement Plan

Former UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman wants to reclaim his welterweight belt and secure the middleweight title before retiring.

Usman, 38, was the welterweight champion from 2019 to 2022, defending the belt five times before losing it to Leon Edwards at UFC 278 in August 2022. Usman currently holds a 1-3 record in his last four fights, but beat Joaquin Buckley at UFC Atlanta in June. The victory was a return to welterweight having previously moved up to middleweight to face Khamzat Chimaev, where he lost by majority decision in October 2023 at UFC 294. Usman is reportedly targeting the winner of Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev, who face in November at UFC 322 in a welterweight title fight. If successful, he plans to vacate it and chase the middleweight title.

Usman Reacts

“In this part of my career, the dream scenario is next fight win the welterweight title, vacate, win the middleweight title, retire. Just boom boom, one, two, and then be done. Because you can’t top that. What else do I want?,” Usman said

The factors working against Usman are his recent performances and age. At 38, with a 1-3 record in his last four bouts—including two losses to Leon Edwards and a loss to Khamzat Chimaev—suggests he is no longer at his peak. Immediately targeting the winner of the welterweight title fight (Jack Della Maddalena or Islam Makhachev) is also a massive task.

However, Usman’s plan is strategically sound from a legacy standpoint. By explicitly calling out the welterweight champion and then stating his intent to chase the middleweight belt, he is targeting the biggest fights possible, which the UFC prioritizes. A middleweight title shot would be a massive commercial event. A two-title-fight retirement—makes the possibility of the UFC granting him the necessary title opportunities quite real, even if his success is far from guaranteed.