Mohammed Usman

Mohammed Usman is a heavyweight finisher from Auchi, Nigeria, who arrived in the UFC as the winner of The Ultimate Fighter season 30 in August 2022. At 36, he launched his career late, after playing college football at the University of Arizona, but he made an immediate impact with a second-round knockout of Zac Pauga in the TUF 30 final. He followed that with two decisive unanimous decisions over Jake Collier and Junior Tafa, building an undefeated 3-0 record and planting himself in the conversation as a potential heavyweight challenger.

As a fighter, Usman relies on relentless pressure and volume striking, landing 96% of his significant strikes from the standing distance and mixing in occasional takedowns. He is a finisher at heart, with four knockout wins, two submission victories (both Kimura), and five first-round stoppages across his pro career. His aggressive forward movement and motor earned him the nickname "The Motor," and he fights with the kind of urgency typical of a late-bloomer hungry to prove himself.

His trajectory took a hard turn when he suffered consecutive losses to Thomas Petersen and Mick Parkin in 2024, stalling his rise. He mounted a comeback with a decisive win over Hamdy Abdelwahab in June 2025, positioning himself for a return to contention. That return never materialized. In January 2026, Usman was handed a 30-month suspension by Combat Sports Anti-Doping after testing positive for testosterone ahead of a scheduled heavyweight bout; he also admitted to using BPC-157, a banned peptide. The UFC released him from the roster in February 2026, effectively ending his time in the promotion. Usman issued a public apology, acknowledging his mistake and stating he is focused on family and recovery, but his heavyweight run in the UFC has come to an abrupt close.