Kamaru Usman ready to fight soon, targeting ‘journeyman’ Jorge Masvidal next

Kamaru Usman needs some time to heal an injured hand but he’s certainly not sidelined indefinitely.

The welterweight champion wore a cast when making an appearance in Las Vegas this past weekend one month after earning a fifth-round TKO to finish Colby Covington at UFC 245.

According to Usman, the injury happened early in the fight but he kept throwing punches because he didn’t want Covington or anybody else to know his hand was bothering him.

“My right hand is okay. My legs are okay. My left hand is the one that I hurt during the fight, I hurt it early on in the first round,” Usman said when speaking to MMA Fighting. “When I rewatched the fight, I heard Joe Rogan say something about it.

“It was kind of surreal. I didn’t think it was that visible but I heard Joe mention something about it. Yeah, I hurt my hand.”

Considering it’s barely been a month since the fight ended, Usman wouldn’t be expected to compete this soon anyways so he’s just taking the necessary time off to allow his hand to heal.

While he’s still working with his doctors after undergoing an MRI, Usman doesn’t expect the hand to keep him sidelined for an extended period of time.

“Right now we’re in the process of making sure those tendons and those ligaments are okay in that hand,” Usman said. “Hopefully, I can get back in there by mid this year. Mid-2020.

“If earlier, absolutely, because if I don’t fight, I don’t make money. We love to make money.”

According to Usman’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, the reigning welterweight king won’t be sidelined long at all as he anticipates his return to action much sooner than later. In fact, Abdelaziz says Usman could be ready as early as March or April if the UFC needed him to fight by then.

“Usman was ready to fight Saturday night,” Abdelaziz told MMA Fighting. “As soon as Dana White calls, he will be ready for any of these clowns.”

Usman has gone on the offensive the past few days after hearing his name called by both Conor McGregor and “BMF” champion Jorge Masvidal.

No guarantees were made that McGregor would get a shot at his title after McGregor defeated Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone this past weekend, but Usman has heard UFC president Dana White say numerous times that he wants the fight with Masvidal to happen.

Usman sent out a message to Masvidal on Monday, which seemed to confirm that’s who he’s targeting as his next opponent once he’s healthy enough to fight again.

“For all you real fans out there that know what’s up. Jorge Masvidal is doing everything possible to avoid taking this ‘L.’

“Dana White has spoken so STFU and take this ass whooping like the journeyman you are and then you can go fight Conor.”

All signs seem to point towards Usman facing Masvidal later this year, although an exact timeline for that fight being booked hasn’t been revealed just yet.