Dana White has weighed in on Kamaru Usman’s fighting future following Usman’s unanimous decision loss to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC Fight Night 281.
Usman faced Du Plessis at middleweight at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City and had some successful moments despite the defeat. The result leaves the former longtime UFC welterweight champion 1-4 in his past five fights after opening his UFC run with a 15-fight winning streak.
White pushed back on any immediate retirement talk, saying, "We've seen the, 'Holy shit, these guys should retire' fights. Those weren't it." He added, "I don't know. Obviously a great fight. Fighting a much bigger guy. He's got a great chin – he's still got it. It's not like, 'Oh, Usman's done and he should retire.' He had a great fight tonight. I don't know. He's got to go home, rest, heal up and figure out what's next."
The UFC CEO emphasized Usman’s résumé and the level of opposition he is still facing. "He's accomplished so much and he's fighting literally the No. 1 or No. 2 best guy in the world, who is way bigger than he is," White said. "I think Kamaru's done enough in his career where it's up to him. These are questions you ask him tonight about how he feels at that weight and what he wants to do. It's not like he's some young guy who hasn't done anything. This guy has done it all."
According to White, Usman, 39, can choose to continue at either 170 or 185 pounds going forward.
