MMA fans urge Kamaru Usman to make welterweight return as he unravels grueling training footage after UFC Oklahoma loss

Kamaru Usman has put forth training footage of himself in the aftermath of his most recent Octagon appearance, which saw him suffer a one-sided defeat to former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis. 

Fight fans soon chimed in with their reactions to the footage, with multiple netizens urging Usman to return to the welterweight division. 

Ex-UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman's recent run, middleweight move

Kamaru Usman is hailed by many as one of the best to have ever competed in the UFC welterweight division, a weight class wherein he once reigned as the champion and dispatched notable challengers such as Colby Covington, Gilbert Burns, and Jorge Masvidal. 

Nevertheless, a fifth-round head kick KO defeat in his rematch against Leon Edwards ended his 170-pound title reign back in 2022. He was beaten by Edwards via majority decision in their trilogy clash the following year. Also, a short-notice middleweight bout against Khamzat Chimaev in late 2023 ended in another majority decision loss for Usman. 

"The Nigerian Nightmare" ended the three-fight losing streak by outpointing Joaquin Buckley at welterweight in June of last year. He then chose to move up to middleweight and pursue gold at 185 pounds, incidentally, at a time when the reigning middleweight kingpin is Sean Strickland, whom he outpointed at welterweight in 2017. 

Kamaru Usman cites grueling MMA lifestyle, love for the fight game

Unfortunately, Kamaru Usman's return to middleweight, which headlined UFC Oklahoma City last month, ended in a lopsided unanimous decision loss against Dricus du Plessis. 

The 39-year-old Usman, on his Pound 4 Pound podcast, subsequently hinted at retiring from MMA. He also indicated that he'd fought with a torn pectoral muscle.

All in all, he signaled that continuing his fighting career might not be worth the trouble. Regardless, his manager Ali Abdelaziz clarified that his client is unlikely to retire and could return to the welterweight division. 

Usman has now made an X post, suggesting that he loves his work as a fighter, albeit acknowledging the challenges it entails.

He wrote, "You truly have to be in love With this work so it becomes a lifestyle." 

Check out Kamaru Usman's statement and training footage in his X post below: 

You truly have to be in love With this work so it becomes a lifestyle 🫶🏿👊🏿 pic.twitter.com/KJvzZMmFbI

— KAMARU USMAN (@USMAN84kg) August 6, 2026

Fight fans react to Kamaru Usman's training footage amid calls for his welterweight comeback

A number of fans reacted to Kamaru Usman's training footage, with some seemingly sending their good wishes and prayers to him, while others joined the widespread calls for him to head back to his former stomping grounds, which is the welterweight division. 

One fan wrote, "Return to welterweight bro," whereas another advised, "Go back to WW and fight Sean Brady." 

An excerpt from a netizen's X post read, "Uncle is time to hang the boots." The commenter added that Usman has nothing left to prove. 

Moreover, some observers insinuated that Usman's last performance was rather underwhelming and that he ought to consider retirement. An extract from one X user's comment noted, "Good luck but perhaps it's time." 

Check out the screenshots of a few fan reactions to Kamaru Usman's post below: