Welterweight · #9 (Media) · Meta #12

Who will Kamaru Usman 🇳🇬 fight next?

Record 21-5-0 · Age 39 · Born Auchi, Nigeria

Most likely Belal Muhammad (20%), no event announced yet. Next: retires or steps away first (15%), Another middleweight bout (10%).

Updated 1 Oct 2026 (UAE time) · Percentages are NextSmash model estimates, not facts or betting advice.

Lost a five-round middleweight decision to Du Plessis in July. Said he was weighing 'whether it's worth continuing'. His manager later said he won't retire and should return to welterweight. No fight announced.

Likely opponents Model estimate

Belal Muhammad
20%

The grudge match MMA Junkie calls his 'only obvious fight'. Muhammad keeps calling for it.

calloutanalystcareer
Retires or steps away first
15%

He openly questioned continuing after the Du Plessis loss.

availability-
Another middleweight bout
10%

Says he's open to either weight 'as long as it makes sense'.

availability

Field / other: 55%, including Yaroslav Amosov 6%. This covers everyone not listed above.

Likely event: Nothing announced.
Last fight: Loss vs Dricus Du Plessis · Decision (unanimous) R5 5:00 · UFC Fight Night (Oklahoma City, middleweight) · 18 Jul 2026
Career stage: 1-4 in his last five, age 39: step back, with retirement risk.
Confidence: Low (High = officially booked · Medium = reported or a fighter's own claim · Low = model only)
Last updated: 1 Oct 2026 (UAE time)

Kamaru Usman: frequently asked questions

When is Kamaru Usman's next fight?

No fight is officially booked as of 1 Oct 2026.

Who did Kamaru Usman fight last?

Kamaru Usman lost to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC Fight Night (Oklahoma City, middleweight) on 18 Jul 2026 (Decision (unanimous) R5 5:00).

Who is Kamaru Usman likely to fight next?

NextSmash model estimate: Belal Muhammad (20%), retires or steps away first (15%), Another middleweight bout (10%). Updated 1 Oct 2026. These are estimates, not facts or betting advice.

What is Kamaru Usman's record?

21-5-0 (wins-losses-draws) in professional MMA, as listed on UFC.com (checked 1 Oct 2026).

Your pick

Other welterweight fighters

Leon Edwards #8 · next: Jack Della Maddalena 25%
Joaquin Buckley #10 · next: Mike Malott 92%
Belal Muhammad #7 · next: Kamaru Usman 20%
Yaroslav Amosov #11 · next: Buckley–Malott winner 15%
Sean Brady #6 · next: Gabriel Bonfim 92%

More: Welterweight rankings and next fights · Nigeria UFC fighters

Sources

UFC.com athlete profile (record, rank, last fight) · 1 Oct 2026
UFC.com rankings (Media Panel + Meta boards) · 1 Oct 2026
ESPN fighter profile (country, record cross-check) · 1 Oct 2026
MMA Junkie: What's next for Usman? 'Only one obvious fight': Belal Muhammad · 19 Jul 2026
Bloody Elbow: Usman's manager on retirement, a return to welterweight · 5 Aug 2026
MMA Fighting: Usman weighing 'whether it's worth continuing' · 1 Oct 2026

Percentages are NextSmash model estimates from the factors shown above (see methodology). They are not facts, and not betting advice. Records and ranks come from UFC.com; country from ESPN. Checked 1 Oct 2026.