Kamaru Usman Rated As Underdog Ahead of UFC Clash Against Khamzat Chimaev

• Kamaru Usman is currently a +230 underdog against Khamzat Chimaev
• Usman will move up to 185 pounds to face Chimaev
• UFC 294 will take place in Abu Dhabi and is set for October 21

Kamaru Usman will face one of the biggest fights of his career this October when he takes on Khamzat Chimaev in the highly anticipated UFC 294 main event.

The former welterweight champion replaced Paulo Costa after the Brazilian fighter pulled out of his middleweight clash with unbeaten phenom Chimaev due to health concerns.

According to CBS Sports, Usman will move up to 185 pounds for the first time in his career to face one of the most feared opponents in the sport, who has a record of 12 wins and zero defeats.

The Nigerian has now been rated as the underdog heading into the UFC clash with Chimaev as punters have given the 36-year-old a +230 rating, the first time he has been ranked that low since 2019.

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Usman was last ranked as an underdog in his 2019 bout against Tyron Woodley, which the Nigerian won to become the UFC welterweight champion.

Usman confident of beating Chimaev

Meanwhile, Kamaru Usman is unfazed by the threat of Khamzat Chimaev and has vowed to end the invincibility of the Swedish mixed martial arts fighter when they meet in UFC 294, Yahoo Life reports.

The Nigerian Nightmare admits he has nothing to lose heading into the fight on October 21 as he claims he can match Chimaev’s every ability.

Usman holds a win over current UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland in 2017. UFC CEO Dana White said the winner of Usman vs. Chimaev is next in line for a title shot.

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Earlier, Sports Brief reported Nigerian-born UFC superstars, Kamaru Usman and Israel Adesanya could be set for a massive faceoff in the Octagon sometime in the future.

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Usman will move up to middleweight for the first time in his career after it was announced he will fight Khamzat Chimaev in a blockbuster co-main event at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi on October 21.

The Nigerian Nightmare was drafted in after Paulo Costa, who was due to fight Chimaev in the co-main event, pulled out of the fight following an elbow injury.