Will Kamaru Usman fight Canelo Alvarez next?

A fight between two of the best combat sports athletes in the world, both undisputed in their reigns as champions, could become one of the mega-fights of the century if things go correctly on November 6th.

MMA’s Kamaru Usman has said he’d like his next bout to be against boxing’s Canelo Alvarez in the squared circle instead of the octagon. And it likely would be one of the biggest pay-per-view draws of all time.

“It only makes sense because we’re in an era to where people want to be entertained,” Usman told DAZN over the phone Tuesday evening about a potential mega bout with the Mexican superstar. “So, in order to entertain people, when have we in history ever seen the two pound-for-pound fighters in the world in combat sports at the top of their prime, when have we ever seen them compete? It never happened.”

But from Alvarez’s end, would it be worth it? He seems to think not.

The fight would certainly make more financial sense for Usman, who is paid far, far less than a boxer because of his status in the UFC which greatly regulates fighter pay. Alvarez is set to make $40 million for his bout Saturday night, whereas Usman will likely clear less than 10% of that figure to defend his title.

Usman (19-1) is the UFC welterweight champion (170 lbs.), as well as the top-rated pound-for-pound fighter in all of MMA. He’s won 18 fights in a row in his pro career, and has defended his title four times. If he knocks off Colby Covington again, whom he beat in his first defense in December of 2019, there won’t be much left for him to conquer at his current weight in the octagon.

Alvarez is the WBA, WBC, WBO, and Ring Magazine lineal champion at super middleweight (168 lbs.), and if he beats Caleb Plant this evening, he’ll unify the titles by adding the IBF version as well.