Does Kamaru Usman Have One Last Championship Run in Him?
Matt Dominique | June 19, 2025
Thirty-seven-year-old Kamaru Usman is a Nigerian-American former UFC welterweight champion and is currently ranked in the top five in the division. He’s also a former collegiate (Nebraska-Kearney) champ.
Usman’s last bout was a much-needed, unanimous-decision victory over Joaquin Buckley headlining a UFC Fight Night card in Atlanta in mid-June. He hadn’t won since June of 2021.
With apologies to former Kansas City Chiefs’ bruising running back Christian Okoye, Usman shares his Nigerian Nightmare nickname.
The question of where exactly Usman stands both in his career and the welterweight division is something UFC fans have been asking themselves. As the headline of this story asks, ‘Is there another championship run in him?’
While Usman remains a popular wagering proposition in UFC fights odds, fans are awaiting his next move. Usman had earned his welterweight belt with a win over Tyrone Woodley in March 2019, maintaining it until losing to Leon Edwards in August 2022.
It won’t be a title shot against current divisional champion Jack Della Maddalena, probably not in the cards until Usman strings together more of the sort of performance he authored against Buckley. UFC boss Dana White hasn’t signed off on the next Usman bout. There’s been speculation regarding Usman and Belal Muhammad.
Here’s a primer on Kamaru Usman, one of the more intriguing figures on the UFC schedule…
How Many Losses Does Kamaru Usman Have?
Four, to go along with 21 wins (and no draws) on his resume, 16-3 in UFC competition. Kamaru Usman’s dominant victory over Joaquin Buckley ended a three-bout losing streak. He had been a regular fixture on ‘numbered’ UFC fight programs.
Who Has Kamaru Usman Lost To?
Four losses by Kamaru Usman have come against Leon Edwards (UFC 278 [2022] and UFC 286 [2023]) as well as to Khamzat Chimaev (UFC 294 in 2023). Those defeats, along with an early (2013) MMA loss against Jose Caceres, are the only blemishes on his ledger.
Usman had won 19 combined MMA bouts before the aforementioned three-fight losing streak. That skid had made him sort of a hard-to-gauge entity when it came to UFC fight odds.
Does BetUS Offer Constant Updates on UFC Fights Betting Lines?
While UFC news is the place to see who’s fighting whom, BetUS is the go-to site to find the latest UFC fights betting odds ahead of every numbered event, as well as any Fight Night program
Looking at the board as of this mid-June writing, there’s UFC 317 later this month in Las Vegas,
where Ilia Topuria is a solid (-417) choice over Charles Oliveira (+320) to win the vacant lightweight title. There are also some ‘future’ odds leading to UFC 318 (July in New Orleans) and UFC 319 (August in Chicago).
Remember, any odds are fluid, thus subject to change.
Any Final Thoughts?
Those who pay attention to all the news and UFC rumors know the tale of Kamaru Usman. Whether he has what it takes to earn a shot at the welterweight title remains to be seen, but he certainly ‘stopped the bleeding’ with a left-no-doubt victory over Joaquin Buckley.
He may need a few more wins while trying to climb the ladder and make himself into a contender. Those who wager on UFC would be wise to bookmark BetUS to find the latest odds.
