Islam Makhachev: "That scares me" - Kamaru Usman makes Colby Covington comparison to potential Islam Makhachev fight

Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman opened up about the possibility of fighting Islam Makhachev.

‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ was speaking on his Pound 4 Pound podcast with former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo and explained why he feared facing Makhachev.

The Russian became the new welterweight champion after a dominant win over Jack Della Maddalena on Saturday. Makhachev also became the latest double UFC champion after an incredible lightweight run.

Usman believes he can give Makhachev a run for his money, but is wary of the Russian’s abilities (H/T: MMA Junkie):

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“I say it's the most competitive because when I look at a guy like Islam, I don't really see holes like that, and that's something that scares me, that causes that heartbeat to go up, and that's when you see some of the most spectacular performances.”

The former champion, interestingly, compared Makhachev to a bitter rival, Colby Covington.

“The last time I felt that was Colby Covington. That's when I was like you've got a guy who can wrestle as good as you, a guy who could grapple just as good, a guy that can strike just as well. You have a guy that's good at all these things. How do you get that victory?”

Usman faced Covington twice and beat his compatriot both times to keep hold of the title. 'Chaos' is known for his wrestling and provided the former champion with a stern test, but was unable to usurp the then-king of the division.

Islam Makhachev’s manager wants Kamaru Usman as next opponent

Islam Makhachev barely had time to celebrate his win when calls for his next challenger started doing the rounds.

The welterweight division has some rising stars in Carlos Prates and Michael Morales, both of whom scored impressive wins on the same card as Makhachev.

However, Ali Abdelaziz, Makhachev’s manager, claimed that Kamaru Usman would be next in line. Abdelaziz explained why this would be the fight to make and lauded the former champion, too:

"He said it. He said he wanted to fight Kamaru Usman. Kamaru Usman [had a] 15-fight winning streak, five title defences, [the] greatest welterweight of all time, beat all these young guys, what does that do for his legacy? It does nothing. Kamaru Usman is a very tough opponent, and I represent him too, and he’s not an easy night for anybody. He’s the real deal, and [Islam] wants to fight the real deal."