Dana White has one problem booking Khamzat vs. Usman: “What I hate about that fight … ”

Kamaru Usman and Khamzat Chimaev. Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports och Stefan Romare

Earlier this week, former welterweight Kamaru Usman said he wanted a fight with Khamzat Chimaev, claiming that he ”potentially” would go up to 185 lbs to make it happen.

”A fight with myself and Khamzat? Boom,” Usman told ESPN. ”I’m kind of in a place now where I’m having fun with it, and what’s the biggest, funnest, most intense fight that really makes me feel something? That’s a fight right there. That could headline a pay-per-view.”

Appearing on The Jim Rome Show on Thursday, UFC president Dana White claimed he is open to booking a fight between Usman and Chimaev, but there is a catch.

“What I hate about that fight and [Usman] calling him out, Usman is calling him out at a catchweight — I don’t do catchweights, I don’t like catchweights,” White said. “Catchweights mean nothing. They mean absolutely nothing.”

“If [Usman] wants to move up to 185 and fight [Chimaev], we could talk about it. But trying to fight him at a catchweight, I’m not interested in.”

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Khamzat has not competed since September

No. 3 ranked welterweight Khamzat Chimaev has not been competing since September last year when he defeated Kevin Holland with a first-round submission. Chimaev has been rumored to fight Brazilian middleweight Paulo Costa next.

No. 1 ranked Kamaru Usman comes from back-to-back title bout losses against Leon Edwards and is looking to get back in the win column again.

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