Kamaru Usman wants to remain an active champion, hopes to fight two more times in 2021

UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is not looking to slow down.

Usman (18-1 MMA, 13-0 UFC), who will be making a quick turnaround to rematch Jorge Masvidal (35-14 MMA, 14-8 UFC) in the main event of UFC 261 on April 24, recently defended his title when he stopped Gilbert Burns in the second round at UFC 258 in February.

He will step in the octagon just two months later to run things back with Masvidal, whom he defeated via unanimous decision at UFC 251 in July.

Usman explains that he opted to rematch Masvidal because he wasn’t satisfied with his performance in their first meeting. “The Nigerian Nightmare” was able to largely stifle Masvidal’s offense, outmuscling him in the clinch and keeping him down in the latter rounds to score the decision win.

Though his stoppage victory over Burns was a much more emphatic result, Usman wants to capitalize on his prime and keep the ball rolling.

“It’s what I was feeling at the time,” Usman told MMA Junkie. “I’m just at this point in my career where yeah, we were offered to do ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ and things like that, but I just had to be honest and come to terms with myself. I’m not getting any younger. Things don’t feel the same from when I was 23 years old, so I have to be real with myself. After that last fight, I feel like I didn’t completely get my fix for as hard as I trained for that fight, as much as I put into that fight mentally.

“Just like I felt after the first fight with Masvidal, I just didn’t feel like I got my fix. I was like, ‘You know what? I’m healthy, I’m not getting any younger, why not?’ Because the one thing I can’t get back is time. Why waste this much time filming a show that I don’t end up fighting towards the end of the year.”

Already on an active path, Usman said he wants to amp things up even more. If he’s successful at UFC 261 and comes out relatively unscathed, he wants to compete a couple more times before the end of the year.

“At this rate, God willing, and if I’m blessed with he ability, I can get two more in, to be honest with you,” Usman said. “I could get two more in, and right now that’s three in nine months. I could possibly get two more in, but we’ll see how the body holds up.

“Like I said, I’ve put a lot of wear and tear on my body, especially the way that I prepare for these fights, because it doesn’t matter if I’m fighting just a striker, I’m still going to wrestle. I’m still going to do all of these things that do break the body down, so we’ll go back, and I’ll ask my daughter if she’s willing to put up with daddy being gone for another five, six, maybe eight weeks.”

Usman has previously stated that he plans on putting the “nail in the coffin” of Masvidal in their upcoming rematch. While he didn’t offer an exact prediction, the champion says the outcome depends on how much Masvidal will be able to withstand.

“I always want to make a statement,” Usman said. “Going 25 (minutes), that’s up to him. That’s if he did his homework properly and he came as prepared as he possibly could, then he might be able to drag this thing on for 25. But I’m at the point where I’m having fun and come April 24, I’m looking to have fun again as I did Feb. 13.”

UFC 261 takes place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The night’s main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+

To see the full interview with Usman, check out the video below.