“I made it clear what I want is that title back,” Usman told MMA Fighting. “That’s where I rightfully belong. Had it not been for a stupid mistake with a minute left [against Leon Edwards], I wouldn’t even say it’s a mistake, it’s a Hail Mary that just happened to work. With a minute left, we’re not having this conversation right now. It’s one of those situations. But being out and taking some time off, and really trying to heal your body and come back, I think a lot of people had questions. A lot of people were [saying] time has gone by, he’s no longer the same guy, he can’t handle these guys anymore, these new young, hungry contenders that are in the division now like Buckley. Because Buckley’s looked impressive, and he is impressive with the way he was putting these guys away, pressing forward, with what he’s done with [Colby] Covington and the guys before, it was impressive. “So that was kind of a dangerous one to come back [to]. Because honestly, looking at the landscape of the division at the time, he was the most dangerous guy up there in the top of that division. A guy like that with power that could put you out with one shot, there was a lot of questions about whether I could still hang with these guys at the top of this division. I think I answered those questions to let them know hey, this is what I want. I want the title. Hopefully, the company feels I deserve that, I’ve earned that as well.” As much as rankings might seem to matter, the magnitude of a particular fight often outweighs any other factor when it comes to how the UFC decides on potential championship matchups.