Kamaru Usman
21-4-0
Middleweight
About
A dominant former UFC welterweight champion whose long title reign put him in the pound-for-pound elite.
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Kamaru 'The Nigerian Nightmare' Usman was the welterweight king of his era. A Division II wrestling standout and Ultimate Fighter winner, he built one of the most dominant title reigns in UFC history, beating back challenge after challenge from the division's very best - Colby Covington, Jorge Masvidal, Gilbert Burns and more.
What made Usman special was his evolution. He started as a smothering wrestler with suffocating top control, then sharpened his boxing until he was knocking opponents out, most memorably with the right hand that flattened Masvidal in their rematch. At his peak he sat atop the pound-for-pound rankings.
His reign ended dramatically when Leon Edwards landed a last-minute head kick in 2022, and Usman dropped the rematch before testing himself up at middleweight. For newcomers, he's a study in how a wrestler becomes a complete mixed martial artist - and one of the greatest welterweights the sport has produced.
Why fans love Usman
Relentless improvement, championship dominance, and the rare arc of a grinder who developed legitimate knockout power.
