Kamaru Usman, the current Ultimate Fighting Champion (UFC) welterweight champ, recently commented on wanting to fight Canelo Alvarez, the current undisputed boxing super welterweight champion (the welterweight class contains fighters who are between 165-170 lbs, while the super welterweight class is between 160-168 lbs). The implications of this battle would be monumental. If they fought, it would be the first major crossover since Mayweather vs. McGregor (2017). 

   Kamaru is a Nigerian fighter who used to wrestle in a Division II college before entering the ring in 2012 after failing to join the Olympic Wrestling Team. He then joined the UFC in 2015 and has been moving his way up the ranks ever since. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is now the first undisputed super welterweight champion in boxing (undisputed means that the fighter holds a belt from all 4 boxing associations). Canelo comes from a family of boxers and began his training at the age of 13 after watching his brother’s boxing. He turned pro at 15, and similar to Kamaru worked his way up the weight classes. His most notable fights include his bout against Floyd Mayweather and his bout against Manny Pacquiao. 

   The fight makes sense, to some extent. Usman is the current reigning pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC, and Canelo is the current reigning pound-for-pound boxer (pound-for-pound means that the fighter is able to move up through weight classes and still maintain their skill). Usman stated in an interview that he wanted one of three things to happen in the near future, either he moves up a weight class to fight the current middleweight champ, Israel Adesanya, or Khabib Nurmagomedov, the former welterweight UFC champ could come out of retirement to fight Usman. His last suggestion, and the suggestion he was most eager to follow through with, was wanting to box Canelo Alvarez. Personally, this is an amazing idea. Putting the two best fighters in their fighting associations with two completely different styles would make for an interesting match-up.