Reigning UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has postponed his octagon return due to prolonged recovery from a hand injury.
Kamaru Usman’s last appearance was in November of last year when he clashed with number one contender Colby Covington. The two exchanged blows, with Usman winning via unanimous decision.
Kamaru Usman was expected to face welterweight top contender Leon Edwards at UFC 276 on July 2.
But back in February, he underwent surgery to repair a ligament in his hand to be able to fight Edwards. Unfortunately, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ revealed that the recovery is not going well.
The 35-year-old appeared at UFC 274 event last weekend and said he is only now permitted to do some light-training, which is clearly not enough.
“The hand is doing a little better. I saw the doctor this week and I can start to make light contact with the hands. That’s just what sucks with these things, when you are dealing with tendons that are a lot tougher to heal right away. Especially when they are on top of the knuckles.” Usman said.
Usman said there is some progress in the recovery, however, he is not sure if it will be fully healed in time. The pound-for-pound king also couldn’t give an exact date for his return.
“I hate being wrong, so I don’t want to throw a time on it but rest assured, I want to be back in there as soon as possible.” Usman said.
UFC has tapped middleweight title bout between Israel Adesanya and Jared Cannonier as a replacement headliner for the card.
Conor McGregor mocked Usman for delay in recovery. In a now-deleted tweet, ‘The Notorious’ used some laughing emojis at the news of Usman pulling out from this clash.
Conor McGregor has lobbied for an immediate title shot against Kamaru Usman. This match up raises eyebrows considering that McGregor once competed at 145lbs.