Manuwa Calls For Winner Of Cormier vs. Rumble, Boxer David Haye Following KO Win
Following his brutal first-round knockout of Corey Anderson during Saturday’s main event, Jimi Manuwa wasted no time in calling for a title shot.
With two one-punch KOs in a row over elite light heavyweight contenders in Ovince Saint Preux and Anderson, “The Poster Boy” extended his record to an impressive 17-2, with his only two losses coming at the hands of top five light heavyweights in Alexander Gustaffson and Anthony “Rumble” Johnson.
In a division lacking fresh contenders, Manuwa’s two-fight win streak certainly puts him in the mix, as he called for the winner of champion Daniel Cormier and “Rumble”, who are set to rematch at UFC 210 on April 8. To the delight of his hometown crowd, Manuwa also called out fellow Englishman David Haye, the heavyweight boxer.
“Listen, I want the winner out of DC and “Rumble”” Manuwa said during his post-fight speech. “It’s time for a title shot now. I want the winner out of DC and “Rumble” Johnson.
“Listen, one more thing, David Haye, let’s do this.”
Manuwa appears to have finally hit his peak in the UFC. After a strong start upon signing with the world’s leading MMA promotion back in 2012, the Englishman stumbled against Johnson and “The Mauler” prior to his ruthless knockout over OSP at UFC 204.
But Manuwa didn’t limit his call outs to the winner of D.C. vs. “Rumble”, as the British slugger asked for boxer David Haye for good measure. The Haye callout follows a recent trend of MMA fighters angling for boxing matches with high-profile boxers, similar to lightweight champ Conor McGregor‘s pursuit of a fight with boxing legend Floyd “Money” Mayweather.
Saturday’s knockout of Anderson certainly puts Manuwa in a position to call some shots. Should “Rumble” take out Cormier in April, Manuwa could get the chance to avenge his KO loss to Johnson that occurred back at UFC 191 in September of 2015.
