UFC 228 main event backup Kamaru Usman ‘dreamt’ this is how he becomes champion

Perennial UFC welterweight contender Kamaru Usman will be on standby incase a replacement is needed for next months UFC 228 main event.

UFC 228, which takes place September 8 in Dallas, is headlined by a welterweight title fight featuring current champion Tyron Woodley taking on undefeated contender Darren Till.

“The Nigerian Nightmare” recently sat down with Luke Thomas on the most recent episode of “The MMA Hour” and revealed that he dreamt that this backup opportunity at UFC 228 would result in him becoming champion.

“So, I was already in training and fortunately [the UFC] was like, ‘Hey, we want you on standby’. I was going to do that anyway, they didn’t have to tell me. I was going to be there on weight whether they compensated me to be there or not. I was going to do that for free because that was my shot.”

Usman continued:

“If Darren Till is able to make weight, more power to him, I want him to be able to make weight and get his shot. And if everything is fine with Tyron, more power to him. But in my dreams I dreamt this was the process of how I become champion.”

Darren Till has failed to make weight in two of his past four octagon appearances, missing the non-championship mark of 171-pounds by a wide margin on both occasions.

Obviously Kamaru Usman would like to fight Woodley next because “The Chosen One” is currently the promotions welterweight title holder. However, if it was just based on opponents in general (no title implications), Usman revealed that he would prefer to fight Darren Till.

“If it was just as opponents, of course I would rather [fight] Till. Till is a bigger guy, right now he’s got the wave, he’s got the whole country behind him. He’s that face guy that the UFC is really behind and they’re really trying to push. So, yeah, I’d want Till, for sure, absolutely,” Usman explained. “Plus, he hasn’t really been tested. Everyone wants to see that ground game tested. I want to test that, I want to see what he possesses down there when he’s put on his back.”