Few fighters in mixed martial arts command the kind of respect Kamaru Usman does. On October 17, 2025, the former UFC welterweight champion made waves throughout the MMA world by revealing his ambitious plan for the final chapter of his career. After cementing himself as one of the sport’s most dominant welterweights, Usman has his sights set on a legacy-defining two-fight run before hanging up his gloves for good.
Usman, known to fans as “The Nigerian Nightmare,” didn’t mince words about what he wants next. “In this part of my career, the dream scenario is next fight, win the welterweight title. Vacate. Win the middleweight title, retire. Yeah. Just boom boom, one two, and then we’re done. You can’t top that. It’s like, what else do I wanna do?” he declared in a recent interview, according to LowKickMMA.com. That’s not just bravado—it’s a plan that would etch his name even deeper into the history books.
His announcement comes on the heels of a much-needed victory. After a tough three-fight skid, Usman bounced back with a win over Joaquin Buckley, proving that he still has plenty left in the tank. This return to form has reignited conversations about his place among the all-time greats. With a professional record marked by dominant title defenses and highlight-reel performances, Usman’s legacy is secure, but he’s not done yet.
“He has achieved some incredible things throughout the course of his career, and that includes being one of the greatest UFC welterweight champions of all time,” writes LowKickMMA.com. Indeed, Usman’s reign atop the 170-pound division saw him dispatch contenders with a blend of relentless wrestling and ever-improving striking, earning him both the respect of his peers and the adulation of fans worldwide.
But what’s next for the 36-year-old star? Usman’s blueprint is as bold as it is simple: reclaim his welterweight crown, vacate the belt, then move up to middleweight in pursuit of a second UFC title before calling it a career. If successful, Usman would join a select group of fighters who have captured UFC gold in multiple weight classes—a feat that would all but guarantee his spot in the “GOAT” conversation.
“If he’s able to claim another world title before riding off into the sunset, there’s definitely an argument to be made that he would enter the ‘GOAT’ conversation – or, at the very least, be on the fringes of it,” notes LowKickMMA.com. Given the physical toll of the sport and the ever-present threat of younger contenders, Usman acknowledges that he doesn’t have much time left. “It certainly feels like Kamaru Usman has a chance to go on one more push for a title shot. Of course, given where he’s at in his career, he probably doesn’t have a whole lot of time left on the clock – and it seems as if the man himself is well aware of that.”
While Usman’s plans dominate headlines, the welterweight division itself is buzzing with anticipation for UFC 322, where Sean Brady and Michael Morales are set to clash at Madison Square Garden. This bout has the potential to reshape the upper reaches of the division, and Usman, ever the keen observer, weighed in on what fans can expect.
On the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Usman offered his take: “I think this fight’s closer than most people think… because Michael Morales… that’s a big dude.” Morales’s physical advantages are hard to ignore—he stands two inches taller than Brady and boasts a reach that is six and a half inches longer. For Usman, this size difference could be a game-changer. “That’s a big a– dude to be able to deal with, to handle, and to really kind of control. Sean Brady definitely is strong enough… he’s capable of being able to do that [control]. It’s just we haven’t seen it done yet. And until we see it, then everyone’s going to be like, ‘Oh, you can control that dude like that. You can do what you want with him down there like that,’” Usman said.
Usman believes Brady’s best path to victory lies in his ground game. “I believe Sean Brady, of course, has the shot here to basically win and finish this fight if he’s able to get the fight down to the ground,” he added. That’s not just idle speculation—Brady’s last outing was a masterclass in grappling, as he took down former champion Leon Edwards and secured a fourth-round submission victory back in November 2021 in Las Vegas.
Despite his #3 ranking in the division, Brady finds himself matched up against Michael Morales, who sits at #8. Some fans have wondered why Brady, seemingly on the cusp of a title shot, would risk his position against a lower-ranked opponent. The answer? Necessity. “I took this fight because fighters fight, and there’s literally no other options,” Brady revealed in an interview with SteadyPicks. The UFC reportedly had no other fights available for him, and if he declined, he would have been sidelined until 2026. “From what the UFC told me, this is it. This is the only guy I could fight, or else I wasn’t fighting until next year. I’ve been trying to fight, and no matter what, we’re going to have to fight all these guys regardless,” Brady explained.
With both fighters hungry and motivated, UFC 322 promises fireworks. Morales, the 26-year-old up-and-comer, is eager to prove he belongs among the elite, while Brady is determined to show that his ranking is no fluke. The stakes couldn’t be higher, and as Usman pointed out, the outcome may hinge on whether Brady can impose his will on the ground against a physically imposing adversary.
The UFC’s matchmaking, led by Dana White, has drawn praise for keeping the division active and unpredictable. Fans are abuzz with speculation—can Brady’s grappling overcome Morales’s size and striking, or will the Ecuadorian prospect pull off the upset? Usman’s analysis adds another layer of intrigue, reminding everyone that in MMA, nothing is guaranteed.
As the welterweight division continues to evolve, Kamaru Usman’s presence looms large. Whether he’s inside the Octagon chasing history or outside offering insight, his influence is undeniable. With his two-fight plan now public, the MMA world waits with bated breath to see if “The Nigerian Nightmare” can pull off one last run at greatness. Meanwhile, the next generation of contenders, like Brady and Morales, are eager to seize their moment under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.
With so much at stake and so many storylines converging, the coming months promise to be some of the most exciting in recent UFC memory. Usman’s legacy is already secure, but if he succeeds in his final mission, he’ll leave behind a record that’s almost impossible to top. For now, fans can only watch, speculate, and savor every moment as history continues to unfold in the UFC’s ever-dramatic welterweight division.
