Izuchukwu Okosi
Kamaru Usman’s Promoter, Ali Abdelaziz wants his client to take up the chance of fighting fellow Nigerian Israel Adesanya in the UFC Welterweight division.
The ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ is the undisputed champion in his category and has defeated strong opponents like Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington twice but the list of opponents are running thin in the Welterweight class prompting Abdelaziz to stoke up the fire.
Both Nigerians – Usman and Adesanya – have vowed never to fight each other – but Usman’s promoter is desperate to see the ‘African brothers’ take to the squared ropes and fight for the money.
Abdelaziz takes the line of thought of former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson who also hopes that the world of Mixed Martial Arts see the Nigerians fight despite their reservations towards it.
“The next victim is Leon Edwards,” he told TMZ. “Great fighter but he will get finished under three rounds. Fact.
“It’s going to happen. The welterweight division in the UFC right now is very interesting.
“Kamaru is gonna [sic] beat him, I want him to beat Leon Edwards, and then I want him to go fight Israel Adesanya for the middleweight title.”
The promoter tries to justify his opinion by stating that the Nigerians will not mind their heritage for the financial gratification.
“Listen, these guys, they’re cool but I don’t think they’re best friends.
“If there is enough money for both of them to fight, they will fight in the parking lot.
“I know how people work. This has nothing to do with loyalty, because these guys, it’s not like they’re training partners or brothers.
“They’re African brothers and that holds a lot of value but at the end of the day, I’m Kamaru Usman’s team all the way.
“I want to see Kamaru Usman, before the end of the road, have two titles. I’m selfish, I’m greedy, and I think Kamaru deserves it.
“I know Dana wants it, I want it, it makes sense. It makes a lot of sense. Israel Adesanya goes up to fight for light heavyweight division [title].
“Israel did not accomplish what Kamaru accomplished. There’s no way. Not to take anything away from Israel.
Abdelaziz believes fans of the game would love to see the fight albeit not probably the Nigerian fans of both stars.
“I think there is enough money for these two guys that [they] would fight. I want to see this fight now. I think fans want it, I want it. I think these two men need to call each other.
“Mike Tyson told me this: ‘If they’re real brothers, they should fight for them to make money.’’
Kamaru Usman hails from Edo state while Israel Adesanya despite living in New Zealand for most of his life has his roots from Ogun state.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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