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Kamarudeen Usman (born May 11, 1987) is a Nigerian and American professional
mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...
, former
freestyle wrestler Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling originated from Great Britain and the United States. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games. American high school and men's college wrestling i ...
and retired folkstyle wrestler. He currently competes in the welterweight division of the
Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
(UFC), where he is the former
UFC Welterweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...
and was also The Ultimate Fighter 21 tournament winner. As of November 14, 2022, he is #1 in the UFC men's welterweight rankings, and #4 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings. As a freestyle wrestler, Usman primarily competed at , and was a 2010 U.S, University World Team Member. Collegiately, he competed at , and was the 2010
NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environmen ...
national champion, a three–time
NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environmen ...
All-American, and a NAIA national qualifier.


Background

Usman was born in Auchi, Nigeria. His father was a
major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
in the
Nigerian Army The Nigerian Army (NA) is the land force of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is governed by the Nigerian Army Council (NAC). The Chief of Army Staff is the highest ranking military officer of the Nigerian Army. History Formation The Nigerian ...
and his mother was a teacher. He has two brothers, Kashetu and Mohammed, the latter of whom is also a mixed martial artist and fellow
The Ultimate Fighter ''The Ultimate Fighter'' is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts (MMA) competition produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Pilgrim Media Group currently airing on ESPN+. It previously aired for fourteen s ...
(TUF) winner. Usman had a modest upbringing during his childhood. Usman's father Muhammed Nasiru Usman, who became a pharmacist in the United States, brought his family into the country when Usman was eight years old, immigrating to
Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...
.


Wrestling career

Usman started
wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...
in his
sophomore In the United States, a sophomore ( or ) is a person in the second year at an educational institution; usually at a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions. In ...
year in high school, at Bowie High School in
Arlington, Texas Arlington is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Tarrant County. It forms part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area, and is a principal city of the metropolis and region. ...
. Because Usman's wrestling coach at the time had trouble pronouncing his first name Kamarudeen, he got the nickname "Marty" when he joined the team and it stuck with him during his amateur wrestling career. After compiling a 53–3 record as a senior and placing third at the
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
state championships, Usman wrestled alongside
Jon Jones Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in which he has competed in the light heavyweight division. He is a former two-time UFC L ...
at the senior national tournament before leaving for college. In college, Usman wrestled in
Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
at
William Penn University William Penn University is a private university in Oskaloosa, Iowa. It was founded by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1873 as Penn College. In 1933, the name was changed to William Penn College, and finally to William P ...
for one year, where he was an NAIA national tournament qualifier in 2007, but was unable to attend the tournament due to a snowstorm; half of his team and his head coach, however, left early for the tournament without him, which frustrated Usman and influenced him to leave William Penn. He later transferred to the
University of Nebraska at Kearney The University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) is a campus of the public University of Nebraska system and located in Kearney, Nebraska. It was founded in 1905 as the Nebraska State Normal School at Kearney. History In March 1903 the Nebraska Stat ...
(UNK), which previously tried to recruit him under advisement of then-UNK wrestler Tervel Dlagnev, and subsequently helped the Lopers win their first-ever team title in 2008. Usman placed top three in the nation all three years he attended UNK and was a two-time national finalist. He became the
NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environmen ...
national champion at 174 pounds in 2010, finishing the season with a 44–1 record and 30 straight wins. Shortly after his
folkstyle Collegiate wrestling (also known as folkstyle wrestling) is the form of wrestling practiced at the college and university level in the United States. This style of wrestling, with some slight modifications, is also practiced at high school and mi ...
career was over, Usman turned his attention to
freestyle wrestling Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling originated from Great Britain and the United States. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games. American high school and men's college wrestling ...
and became a resident of the
United States Olympic Training Center The United States Olympic & Paralympic Training Centers (OPTCs) are two campuses created by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) as training facilities for its Olympic and Paralympic athletes. They are located in Colorado Sprin ...
, with hopes of making the 2012 Olympic team. Despite making the U.S. University World Team in 2010, Usman was sidetracked by injuries and eventually abandoned his Olympic goal after failing to qualify for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, turning his attention to
mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...
instead. Former
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) star Christian Okoye, who has the nickname "The Nigerian Nightmare" trademarked, gave his blessing for Usman to use it.


Mixed martial arts career


Professional MMA career

On 2011, Usman served as the
wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...
coach for Team Miller in The Ultimate Fighter season fourteen. After failing to qualify for the 2012 US Olympic Team Trials in
freestyle wrestling Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling originated from Great Britain and the United States. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games. American high school and men's college wrestling ...
, Usman made his professional MMA debut in November 2012. He compiled a record of 5–1, competing for several regional promotions before trying out for
The Ultimate Fighter ''The Ultimate Fighter'' is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts (MMA) competition produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Pilgrim Media Group currently airing on ESPN+. It previously aired for fourteen s ...
in early 2015.


The Ultimate Fighter

In February 2015, it was announced that Usman was one of the fighters selected to be on The Ultimate Fighter 21. In his TUF debut and quarterfinal bout of the bracket, Usman faced undefeated eventual Titan FC Welterweight Champion
Michael Graves Michael Graves (July 9, 1934 – March 12, 2015) was an American architect, designer, and educator, as well as principal of Michael Graves and Associates and Michael Graves Design Group. He was a member of The New York Five and the Memphis Grou ...
. He won the fight via majority decision. In the semifinals, Usman faced off against long-time veteran and former WSOF Welterweight Champion Steve Carl. He won the fight via unanimous decision and advanced to the finals. In the finals, Usman faced Hayder Hassan on July 12, 2015, at The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale. He won the bout via submission in the second round, thus winning a six-figure contract with the UFC. He was also awarded the
Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...
award.


Ultimate Fighting Championship


2015

In his official debut as a UFC athlete, Usman faced future champion
Leon Edwards Leon Aaron Edwards (born 25 August 1991) is an English professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the current UFC Welterweight Champion. A profe ...
on December 19, 2015, at
UFC on Fox 17 ''UFC on Fox: dos Anjos vs. Cowboy 2'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 17'') was a mixed martial arts event held on December 19, 2015, at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. Background The event was headlined by a UFC Lightweight Championship bout ...
. He won the fight by unanimous decision.


2016

Usman was expected to face two-time
World Jiu-Jitsu Champion The World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship (commonly known as the Worlds or Mundials) is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament held once every year by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. It is widely considered to be the most important and ...
Sérgio Moraes Sérgio Ricardo de Moraes (born July 23, 1982) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the welterweight and middleweight division's for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He was a competitor on '' The Ultimat ...
on May 14, 2016, at
UFC 198 ''UFC 198: Werdum vs. Miocic'' was a mixed martial arts event held on May 14, 2016, at Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Brazil. Background The event was initially announced as a ''Fight Night'' event with a middleweight bout between former UFC Ligh ...
. However, it was announced on May 1 that Usman had pulled out of the bout for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by promotional newcomer
Luan Chagas Luan Chagas (born 9 November 1989) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Chagas was born in Navirai, Brazil and he attended Karate classes at the early a ...
. In his first bout of the year, Usman faced
Alexander Yakovlev Alexander Nikolayevich Yakovlev (russian: Алекса́ндр Никола́евич Я́ковлев; 2 December 1923 – 18 October 2005) was a Soviet and Russian politician, diplomat, and historian. A member of the Politburo and Secreta ...
on July 23, 2016, at
UFC on Fox 20 ''UFC on Fox: Holm vs. Shevchenko'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 20'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on July 23, 2016, at United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Background The event was headlined b ...
. He won the one-sided fight via unanimous decision after out-grappling Yakovlev. Usman faced TUF: Brazil 3 tournament winner
Warlley Alves Warlley Alves Andrade (born 4 January 1991), is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional MMA competitor since 2011, Warlley made a name for himself fightin ...
on November 19, 2016, at
UFC Fight Night 100 ''UFC Fight Night: Bader vs. Nogueira 2'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 100'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on November 19, 2016, at Ginásio do Ibirapuera in São Paulo, Brazil Background ...
. He won the match by unanimous decision for the third-straight time.


2017

Usman faced former long-time KOTC Middleweight Champion
Sean Strickland Sean Thomas Strickland (born February 27, 1991) is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2008, he is the former King of ...
on April 8, 2017, at
UFC 210 ''UFC 210: Cormier vs. Johnson 2 '' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on April 8, 2017, at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. Background The event was the second that the UFC has hosted in ...
. He once again won the fight via unanimous decision. A rescheduled bout with a
Sérgio Moraes Sérgio Ricardo de Moraes (born July 23, 1982) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the welterweight and middleweight division's for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He was a competitor on '' The Ultimat ...
on a seven-match unbeaten streak eventually took place on September 16, 2017, at
UFC Fight Night 116 ''UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Branch'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 116'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on September 16, 2017 at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Backg ...
. Usman won the fight via one-punch knockout in the first round. Usman was scheduled to face Venator FC Welterweight Champion
Emil Weber Meek Emil Weber Meek (born August 20, 1988) is a Norwegian professional mixed martial artist that competes in the Welterweight division of Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki (KSW). He previously fought in the UFC's Welterweight division. He is currently ranke ...
on December 30, 2017, at UFC 219, however, Meek presented
VISA Visa most commonly refers to: *Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company ** Visa Debit card issued by the above company ** Visa Electron, a debit card ** Visa Plus, an interbank network *Travel visa, a document that allows ...
problems and the pair was rescheduled for UFC Fight Night 124. Usman won the fight by unanimous decision after out-wrestling his opponent.


2018

Usman was expected to face
Santiago Ponzinibbio Santiago Ponzinibbio (born September 26, 1986) is an Argentines, Argentine mixed martial artist competing as a Welterweight (MMA), Welterweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background He was born in Argentina to parents of Italian ...
on May 19, 2018, at
UFC Fight Night 129 ''UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Usman'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 129'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on May 19, 2018, at Movistar Arena in Santiago, Chile. Background The even ...
. However, on April 21, Ponzinibbio was pulled from the card due to injury and replaced by ADCC Grappling World Champion and two-time UFC title challenger
Demian Maia Demian Maia (born 6 November 1977) is a Brazilian professional submission grappler and mixed martial artist. He competed in both the Welterweight and Middleweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Maia is regarded as one ...
. After denying all of Maia's fifteen attempts of takedowns and out-performing his opponent on the feet, Usman won the fight via unanimous decision. On August 18, it was announced that Usman would serve as a back-up for the
UFC 228 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
main event match between long-time champion
Tyron Woodley Tyron Woodley (born April 17, 1982) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He is a former UFC Welterweight Champion who defended his title four times. A professional since 2009, Woodley also competed at Strikeforce and was an NCAA Di ...
and undefeated challenger
Darren Till Darren Till (born 24 December 1992) is an English professional mixed martial artist and former Muay Thai fighter. He currently competes in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of December 13, 2022, he is #15 ...
. Usman faced former UFC Lightweight Champion
Rafael dos Anjos Rafael Souza dos Anjos (; born October 26, 1984) is a Brazilian American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight and Lightweight divisions in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a former UFC Light ...
on November 30, 2018, at The Ultimate Fighter 28 Finale. He won the fight via unanimous decision. This win earned him his second
Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...
award.


UFC Welterweight Champion


2019

Riding a nine-fight winning streak in the UFC, Usman next faced
UFC Welterweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...
Tyron Woodley Tyron Woodley (born April 17, 1982) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He is a former UFC Welterweight Champion who defended his title four times. A professional since 2009, Woodley also competed at Strikeforce and was an NCAA Di ...
on March 2, 2019, in the co-main event at
UFC 235 ''UFC 235: Jones vs. Smith'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on March 2, 2019 at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area. Background A UFC Light Heavyweigh ...
. He won the one-sided fight via unanimous decision after dominating Woodley for five rounds. Usman made his first title defense and faced long-time rival
Colby Covington Colby Ray Covington (born February 22, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former Interim UFC Welterweight Champ ...
at
UFC 245 ''UFC 245: Usman vs. Covington'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on December 14, 2019 at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States. Bac ...
on December 14, 2019. Despite both athletes being mostly offensive
wrestlers Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat spo ...
, the fight did not include any
grappling Grappling, in hand-to-hand combat, describes sports that consist of gripping or seizing the opponent. Grappling is used at close range to gain a physical advantage over an opponent, either by imposing a position or causing injury. Grappling i ...
and contained high-paced offense in the striking instead. After a fight often referred to as a five-round "
slugfest Slugfest may refer to: * Slugfest, a baseball term for a high scoring game * SlugFest, a pinball-like arcade game produced by WMS Industries * "Slugfest" (''Camp Lazlo'') television series episode * '' Ken Griffey, Jr.'s Slugfest'', a baseball g ...
", Usman was able to knockdown his opponent twice before finishing him with strikes in the fifth round to be declared the winner via technical knockout, which set the record for the latest finish in UFC welterweight history. This fight earned both participants the '' Fight of the Night'' award.


2020

Usman was scheduled to defend his title for the second time against long-time teammate and two-time No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu World Champion
Gilbert Burns Gilbert Alexander Pontes Burns (born 20 July 1986) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and submission grappler. He currently competes in the Welterweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As a grappler, Burns ...
on July 12, 2020 at
UFC 251 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
. Both being originally from the same camp –
Sanford MMA Kill Cliff FC, officially known as Kill Cliff Fight Club (formerly known as Sanford MMA, Hard Knocks 365 and Combat Club) is a mixed martial arts gym based in Deerfield Beach, Florida. It was originally founded in 2017 by Henri Hooft and Greg Jo ...
– Usman opted to train under
Trevor Wittman Trevor Wittman (born March 5, 1974) is an American boxing and MMA trainer. Training career Compelled to retire from boxing after being diagnosed with a hyperinflated lung, Wittman transitioned to training boxers in the Denver metropolitan area. ...
heading into the fight. On July 3, 2020, it was revealed that Burns tested positive for
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
and he was subsequently removed from the card. On July 5, 2020, it was reported that
Jorge Masvidal Jorge Masvidal (born November 12, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Masvidal has been competing professionally since 2003; h ...
stepped in on short notice to replace Burns. Usman won via unanimous decision. The card reportedly generated 1.3 million pay-per-view buys in the United States, the most since
UFC 229 ''UFC 229: Khabib vs. McGregor ''was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) that was held on October 6, 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United St ...
in October 2018.


2021

Usman was once again scheduled to defend his title against BJJ World Champion
Gilbert Burns Gilbert Alexander Pontes Burns (born 20 July 1986) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and submission grappler. He currently competes in the Welterweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As a grappler, Burns ...
, on December 12, 2020, at
UFC 256 ''UFC 256: Figueiredo vs. Moreno'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on December 12, 2020 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United ...
. However, on October 5, 2020, It was reported that Usman had pulled out from the bout, citing more time needed to recover from undisclosed injuries and the bout was postponed for February 13, 2021, as the headliner for
UFC 258 ''UFC 258: Usman vs. Burns'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on February 13, 2021, at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United Stat ...
. Usman defended his title for the third time, as he won the fight via technical knockout in the third round, surpassing the record of the former
UFC Welterweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...
Georges St-Pierre Georges St-Pierre (; born May 19, 1981) is a Canadian actor and former professional mixed martial artist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in mixed martial arts (MMA) history. St-Pierre was a two-division champion in the Ult ...
for the largest win-streak in the division with thirteen. This win earned him the
Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...
award. For his fifth title bout, Usman rematched against
Jorge Masvidal Jorge Masvidal (born November 12, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Masvidal has been competing professionally since 2003; h ...
for the
UFC Welterweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...
on April 24, 2021, at
UFC 261 ''UFC 261: Usman vs. Masvidal 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on April 24, 2021 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Background The promotio ...
in Florida. He successfully defended his title after knocking out Masvidal in the second round, becoming the first to do so in the UFC. This win earned Usman his fourth ''
Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...
'' bonus award. Usman rematched
Colby Covington Colby Ray Covington (born February 22, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former Interim UFC Welterweight Champ ...
for the
UFC Welterweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...
on November 6, 2021 at
UFC 268 ''UFC 268: Usman vs. Covington 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on November 6, 2021, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, United States. Background A UFC Welterwe ...
. Usman retained his championship, being declared the winner via unanimous decision.


2022

Usman rematched
Leon Edwards Leon Aaron Edwards (born 25 August 1991) is an English professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the current UFC Welterweight Champion. A profe ...
for his sixth title defense on August 20, 2022 at
UFC 278 ''UFC 278: Usman vs. Edwards 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on August 20, 2022, at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Background The event marked the promotion' ...
. Usman entered the fight with a -425 winning favour while odd-makers saw Leon as a +315 underdog. Usman lost the fight and title via knockout 4 minutes into the fifth round, marking Usman's first loss inside the UFC.


Personal life

Born to a Muslim father and Christian mother, Usman identifies as a Muslim. His father, Muhammed Nasiru Usman, who had previous convictions in
Tarrant County Tarrant County is located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2020, it had a population of 2,110,640. It is Texas' third-most populous county and the 15th-most populous in the United States. Its county seat is Fort Worth. Tarrant County, one of 2 ...
for theft and drunk driving, was convicted in May 2010 of various offenses, including health care fraud and money laundering, related to a health care fraud scheme. He was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment and ordered to pay $1,300,000 in
restitution The law of restitution is the law of gains-based recovery, in which a court orders the defendant to ''give up'' their gains to the claimant. It should be contrasted with the law of compensation, the law of loss-based recovery, in which a court o ...
, and was released from
FCI Seagoville The Federal Correctional Institution, Seagoville (FCI Seagoville) is a low-security United States federal prison for male inmates in Seagoville, Texas in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a ...
on March 16, 2021. Usman has a daughter who was born in 2014. Usman has a younger brother named Mohammed who was also in
The Ultimate Fighter ''The Ultimate Fighter'' is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts (MMA) competition produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Pilgrim Media Group currently airing on ESPN+. It previously aired for fourteen s ...
, in the Heavyweight division, winning the UFC contract and becoming the first two brothers to do so.


Film career

Kamaru Usman was cast in the film '' Black Panther: Wakanda Forever''; he played the role of a warrior.


Championships and accomplishments


Folkstyle wrestling

*
National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
** NCAA Division II National Championship (174 lbs, 2010) ** NCAA Division II All-American (174 lbs, 2008, 2009, 2010) *
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to its stu ...
** NAIA National Qualifier (165 lbs, 2007) *
University Interscholastic League The University Interscholastic League (UIL) is an organization that creates rules for and administers almost all athletic, musical, and academic contests for public primary and secondary schools in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the largest organi ...
** UIL All-State out of Bowie High School (145 lbs, 2005) *National Wrestling Coaches Association **Jim Koch Division II Hall of Fame, 2022 Class


Mixed martial arts

*
Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
**
UFC Welterweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...
(One time) ***Five successful title defenses ** First Nigerian-born UFC champion ** The Ultimate Fighter 21 tournament winner **
Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...
(Four times) ** Fight of the Night (One time) ** Latest finish in UFC Welterweight history ** Latest knockout in UFC title fight history ** Most consecutive wins in UFC Welterweight history (15) ** Second most consecutive wins in UFC History (15) **Tied (with three fighters) for second most unanimous decision wins in UFC history (10) **2021 Fighter of the Year **2021 Knockout of the Year *
MMAJunkie.com MMA Junkie is a news website that covers the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). It was founded in 2006, and is owned by Gannett Company since 2011. The site and its content have been featured in ''Time (magazine), Time'' magazine'', ''ESPN The Ma ...
**2019 December Fight of the Month **2021 February Fight of the Month vs.
Gilbert Burns Gilbert Alexander Pontes Burns (born 20 July 1986) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and submission grappler. He currently competes in the Welterweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As a grappler, Burns ...
**2021 April Knockout of the Month vs.
Jorge Masvidal Jorge Masvidal (born November 12, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Masvidal has been competing professionally since 2003; h ...
*
World MMA Awards The World MMA Awards are awards presented by ''Fighters Only'' magazine to honor exceptional performance in various aspects of mixed martial arts. Winners are presented with the ''Fighters Only silver statuette''. The World MMA Awards are divided ...
**2021 The Charles 'Mask' Lewis Fighter of the Year *
MMA Fighting ''MMA Fighting'' is a news website that covers the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). Founded in 2001, the site is notable for its breaking news coverage, podcast series, and ''The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani''. Overview ''MMAFighting.com'' w ...
**2021 Fighter of the Year **2021 Knockout of the Year *
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
**2021 Male Fighter of the Year *MMA Mania **2021 Knockout of the Year *
Bleacher Report Bleacher Report (often abbreviated as B/R) is a website that focuses on sport and sports culture. Its headquarters are in San Francisco, with offices in New York City and London. Bleacher Report was acquired by Turner Broadcasting System in Aug ...
**2021 Fighter of the Year *
Yahoo! Sports Yahoo! Sports is a sports news website launched by Yahoo! on December 8, 1997. It receives a majority of its information from STATS, Inc. It employs numerous writers, and has team pages for teams in almost every North American major sport. Bef ...
**2021 Fighter of the Year *Cageside Press **2021 Fighter of the Year *Lowkick MMA **2021 Fighter of the Year *
CBS Sports CBS Sports is the sports division of the American television network CBS. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on W 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on W 5 ...
**2021 Fighter of the Year *Combat Press **2021 Male Fighter of the Year *
Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four We ...
** Mixed Martial Arts Most Valuable (2021) ** Most Outstanding Fighter of the Year (2021) *
BT Sport BT Sport is a group of broadcasting of sports events, pay television sports channels in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Owned by Warner Bros. Discovery Sports#Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe properties, Warner Bros. Dis ...
**2021 Male Fighter of the Year


Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 20–2 ,
Leon Edwards Leon Aaron Edwards (born 25 August 1991) is an English professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the current UFC Welterweight Champion. A profe ...
, KO (head kick) ,
UFC 278 ''UFC 278: Usman vs. Edwards 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on August 20, 2022, at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Background The event marked the promotion' ...
, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 4:04 ,
Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 20–1 ,
Colby Covington Colby Ray Covington (born February 22, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former Interim UFC Welterweight Champ ...
, Decision (unanimous) ,
UFC 268 ''UFC 268: Usman vs. Covington 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on November 6, 2021, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, United States. Background A UFC Welterwe ...
, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,
New York City, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 19–1 ,
Jorge Masvidal Jorge Masvidal (born November 12, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Masvidal has been competing professionally since 2003; h ...
, KO (punch) ,
UFC 261 ''UFC 261: Usman vs. Masvidal 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on April 24, 2021 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Background The promotio ...
, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:02 ,
Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–1 ,
Gilbert Burns Gilbert Alexander Pontes Burns (born 20 July 1986) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and submission grappler. He currently competes in the Welterweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As a grappler, Burns ...
, TKO (punches) ,
UFC 258 ''UFC 258: Usman vs. Burns'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on February 13, 2021, at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United Stat ...
, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:34 ,
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–1 ,
Jorge Masvidal Jorge Masvidal (born November 12, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Masvidal has been competing professionally since 2003; h ...
, Decision (unanimous) ,
UFC 251 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,
Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area. ...
, United Arab Emirates , , - , Win , align=center, 16–1 ,
Colby Covington Colby Ray Covington (born February 22, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former Interim UFC Welterweight Champ ...
, TKO (punches) ,
UFC 245 ''UFC 245: Usman vs. Covington'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on December 14, 2019 at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States. Bac ...
, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 4:10 ,
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–1 ,
Tyron Woodley Tyron Woodley (born April 17, 1982) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He is a former UFC Welterweight Champion who defended his title four times. A professional since 2009, Woodley also competed at Strikeforce and was an NCAA Di ...
, Decision (unanimous) ,
UFC 235 ''UFC 235: Jones vs. Smith'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on March 2, 2019 at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area. Background A UFC Light Heavyweigh ...
, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–1 ,
Rafael dos Anjos Rafael Souza dos Anjos (; born October 26, 1984) is a Brazilian American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight and Lightweight divisions in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a former UFC Light ...
, Decision (unanimous) , The Ultimate Fighter: Heavy Hitters Finale , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–1 ,
Demian Maia Demian Maia (born 6 November 1977) is a Brazilian professional submission grappler and mixed martial artist. He competed in both the Welterweight and Middleweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Maia is regarded as one ...
, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Usman , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,
Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...
, Chile , , - , Win , align=center, 12–1 ,
Emil Weber Meek Emil Weber Meek (born August 20, 1988) is a Norwegian professional mixed martial artist that competes in the Welterweight division of Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki (KSW). He previously fought in the UFC's Welterweight division. He is currently ranke ...
, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Stephens vs. Choi , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,
St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 ,
Sérgio Moraes Sérgio Ricardo de Moraes (born July 23, 1982) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the welterweight and middleweight division's for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He was a competitor on '' The Ultimat ...
, KO (punch) , UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Branch , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:48 ,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 ,
Sean Strickland Sean Thomas Strickland (born February 27, 1991) is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2008, he is the former King of ...
, Decision (unanimous) ,
UFC 210 ''UFC 210: Cormier vs. Johnson 2 '' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on April 8, 2017, at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. Background The event was the second that the UFC has hosted in ...
, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,
Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 ,
Warlley Alves Warlley Alves Andrade (born 4 January 1991), is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional MMA competitor since 2011, Warlley made a name for himself fightin ...
, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Bader vs. Nogueira 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,
São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 ,
Alexander Yakovlev Alexander Nikolayevich Yakovlev (russian: Алекса́ндр Никола́евич Я́ковлев; 2 December 1923 – 18 October 2005) was a Soviet and Russian politician, diplomat, and historian. A member of the Politburo and Secreta ...
, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on Fox: Holm vs. Shevchenko , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,
Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 ,
Leon Edwards Leon Aaron Edwards (born 25 August 1991) is an English professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the current UFC Welterweight Champion. A profe ...
, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on Fox: dos Anjos vs. Cowboy 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,
Orlando, Florida Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 , Hayder Hassan , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , The Ultimate Fighter: American Top Team vs. Blackzilians Finale , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:19 ,
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 ,
Marcus Hicks Marcus Dewayne Hicks (born November 25, 1975) is an American mixed martial artist who last competed in 2014. A professional since 2002, he is perhaps best remembered for his six-fight stint in the WEC, but also competed for Legacy FC. Mixed ma ...
, TKO (punches) , Legacy FC 33 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,
Allen, Texas Allen is a city in Collin County in the U.S. state of Texas, and a northern suburb of Dallas. According to the 2020 U.S. census its population was 104,627, up from 84,246 in 2010. Allen is located approximately twenty miles (32.2 km) north ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–1 , Lenny Lovoto , TKO (punches) , Legacy FC 30 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:04 ,
Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–1 , Steven Rodriguez , TKO (punches) , Legacy FC 27 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:31 ,
Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–1 , Rashid Abdullah , TKO (punches) , VFC 41 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:49 ,
Ralston, Nebraska Ralston is a city in Douglas County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 6,494 at the 2020 census. A suburb of Omaha, Ralston is surrounded on three sides by the city of Omaha by 84th, 72nd, and L Streets, and by Sarpy County (Harrison ...
, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 1–1 , Jose Caceres , Submission (rear-naked choke) , CFA 11 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:47 ,
Coral Gables, Florida Coral Gables, officially City of Coral Gables, is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city is located southwest of Downtown Miami. As of the 2020 U.S. census, it had a population of 49,248. Coral Gables is known globally as home to the ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , David Glover , TKO (punches) , RFA 5 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:50 ,
Kearney, Nebraska Kearney is the county seat of Buffalo County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 30,787 in the 2010 census. It is home to the University of Nebraska at Kearney. The westward push of the railroad as the Civil War ended gave new birt ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Steve Carl , Decision (unanimous) , rowspan=2, The Ultimate Fighter: American Top Team vs. Blackzilians , (airdate) , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , rowspan=2,
Boca Raton, Florida Boca Raton ( ; es, Boca Ratón, link=no, ) is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It was first incorporated on August 2, 1924, as "Bocaratone," and then incorporated as "Boca Raton" in 1925. The population was 97,422 in the ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 ,
Michael Graves Michael Graves (July 9, 1934 – March 12, 2015) was an American architect, designer, and educator, as well as principal of Michael Graves and Associates and Michael Graves Design Group. He was a member of The New York Five and the Memphis Grou ...
, Decision (majority) , (airdate) , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , , -


Freestyle record

! colspan="7", Senior Freestyle Matches , - ! Res. ! Record ! Opponent ! Score ! Date ! Event ! Location , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Loss , 35–26 , align=left, Evan Brown , style="font-size:88%", 1–3, 1–1 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, March 31 – April 1, 2012 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, 2012 US Olympic Trials Qualifier , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=3,
Cedar Falls, Iowa Cedar Falls is a city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 40,713. It is home to the University of Northern Iowa, a public university. History Cedar Falls was first settled in March 1845 by ...
, - , Win , 35–25 , align=left, Ed Richmond , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Loss , 34–25 , align=left,
Jake Herbert Jake Herbert (born March 6, 1985) is an American amateur wrestler. Herbert won the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials at 84 kg FS and competed in the 2012 Olympics. High school Born in Pittsburgh, Herbert was a Pennsylvania state champion and four-ti ...
, style="font-size:88%", 2–5, 1–5 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Loss , 34–24 , align=left,
Narsingh Yadav Narsingh Pancham Yadav (born 6 August 1989) is an Indian wrestler. At the 2010 Commonwealth Games, he won the gold medal in the men's freestyle 74 kg category. He was banned for 4 years and barred from the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro ...
, style="font-size:88%", 1–2, 1–5 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=6, February 2–4, 2012 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=6, 2012 Dave Schultz Memorial International Open , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=6,
Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...
, - , Win , 34–23 , align=left, Evan Brown , style="font-size:88%", 1–0, 1–0 , - , Win , 33–23 , align=left, Valentin Sofiadi , style="font-size:88%", 2–0, 2–0 , - , Win , 32–23 , align=left, Alex Burk , style="font-size:88%", 5–2, 2–1 , - , Loss , 31–23 , align=left,
Deron Winn Deron Andrew Winn (born June 13, 1989) is an American mixed martial artist and freestyle wrestler. A professional mixed martial artist since 2017, he formerly competed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Bellator MMA, fighting in th ...
, style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 31–22 , align=left, Kurt Brenner , style="font-size:88%", 0–8, 6–4, 2–0 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Loss , 30–22 , align=left, Bryce Hasseman , style="font-size:88%", 0–1, 0–1 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=7, December 3, 2011 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=7, 2011 US Olympic Trials Qualifier , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=7,
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
, - , Win , 30–21 , align=left,
Travis Paulson Travis Paulson (born May 11, 1985) is an American freestyle wrestler who formerly competed at 74 kg for the United States of America. Biography Paulson wrestled for Lewis Central High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa during his high schoo ...
, style="font-size:88%", INJ , - , Win , 29–21 , align=left, James Yonushonis , style="font-size:88%", 4–2, 2–1 , - , Win , 28–21 , align=left, Doug Umbehauer , style="font-size:88%", 1–1, 2–0 , - , Win , 27–21 , align=left, Kurt Brenner , style="font-size:88%", 1–0, 5–2 , - , Loss , 26–21 , align=left, Terry Madden , style="font-size:88%", 0–4, 1–4 , - , Win , 26–20 , align=left, Pat Downey , style="font-size:88%", 1–1, 3–3, 4–0 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Loss , 25–20 , align=left, Kirk Smith , style="font-size:88%", 1–1, 0–3 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, November 11–13, 2011 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, 2011 NYAC Holiday International Open Tournament , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=3,
New York City, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, - , Win , 25–19 , align=left, Mike Tamillow , style="font-size:88%", 2–1, 3–0 , - , Loss , 24–19 , align=left, Jaime Espinal , style="font-size:88%", 0–4, 4–6 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Loss , 24–18 , align=left, Mack Lewnes , style="font-size:88%", 2–2, 0–6 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, October 28–30, 2011 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, 2011 Sunkist Kids International Open Tournament , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=3,
Mesa, Arizona Mesa ( ) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa County, in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the most populous city in the East Valley (Phoenix metropolitan area), East Valley section of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is bordered by ...
, - , Loss , 24–17 , align=left, Raymond Jordan , style="font-size:88%", 0–4, 1–3 , - , Win , 24–16 , align=left, Erich Schmidtke , style="font-size:88%", 3–0, 1–2, 3–1 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Loss , 23–16 , align=left, Luke Lofthouse , style="font-size:88%", 1–1, 4–1, 0–1 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=2, May 12–14, 2011 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=2, 2011 Northern Plains Regional Championships , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=2,
Waterloo, Iowa Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census the population was 67,314, making it the eighth-largest city in the state. The city is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls ...
, - , Win , 23–15 , align=left, Mike Schmidt , style="font-size:88%", 3–3, 7–0, 7–2 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Win , 22–15 , align=left, Kevin Bailey , style="font-size:88%", TF 7–0, 6–0 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=7, April 20–23, 2011 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=7, 2011 US University National Championships , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=7,
Akron, Ohio Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County, Ohio, Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 C ...
, - , Loss , 21–15 , align=left, Max Thomusseit , style="font-size:88%", 3–1, 0–1, 0–1 , - , Win , 21–14 , align=left, Ryan Loder , style="font-size:88%", 6–0, 1–3, 2–1 , - , Win , 20–14 , align=left, Keith Witt , style="font-size:88%", TF 6–0, 6–0 , - , Win , 19–14 , align=left, Ben Bennett , style="font-size:88%", 2–0, 6–0 , - , Loss , 18–14 , align=left, Nick Heflin , style="font-size:88%", 0–1, 1–3 , - , Win , 18–13 , align=left, Cole Shafer , style="font-size:88%", 6–0, 2–0 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Loss , 17–13 , align=left, Raymond Jordan , style="font-size:88%", 0–2, 0–2 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=7, April 7–10, 2011 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=2, 2011 US Open National Championships , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=7,
Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, - , Loss , 17–12 , align=left, Bryce Hasseman , style="font-size:88%", 1–1, 0–3 , - , Win , 17–11 , align=left, Evan Brown , style="font-size:88%", 0–1, 2–1, 1–0 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, 2011 US Open National Championships – Qualifier , - , Win , 16–11 , align=left, Christopher Honeycutt , style="font-size:88%", 1–1, 2–3, 2–1 , - , Win , 15–11 , align=left, Kaleb Young , style="font-size:88%", 3–2, 1–0 , - , Loss , 14–11 , align=left, Nick Heflin , style="font-size:88%", 0–1, 4–1, 0–1 , - , Win , 14–10 , align=left, Dwight Middleton , style="font-size:88%", TF 6–0, 6–0 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Loss , 13–10 , align=left, Jaime Espinal , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, February 2–5, 2011 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, 2011 Dave Schultz Memorial International Open , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=5,
Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...
, - , Win , 13–9 , align=left, James Yonushonis , style="font-size:88%", TF 5–0, 8–2 , - , Loss , 12–9 , align=left, Shinya Matsumoto , style="font-size:88%", 2–4, 1–4 , - , Win , 12–8 , align=left, Jake Landals , style="font-size:88%", 5–0, 7–0 , - , Win , 11–8 , align=left, James Reynolds , style="font-size:88%", 4–1, 7–0 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Loss , 10–8 , align=left, Raymond Jordan , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, November 20–21, 2010 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, 2010 NYAC International Open Tournament , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=5,
New York City, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, - , Win , 10–7 , align=left, Jason Lapham , style="font-size:88%", 1–0, 3–0 , - , Win , 9–7 , align=left, Robert Isley , style="font-size:88%", 2–1, 4–2 , - , Loss , 8–7 , align=left, Keith Gavin , style="font-size:88%", 1–0, 1–2, 0–2 , - , Win , 8–6 , align=left, Vitaliy Horodnytskyy , style="font-size:88%", 2–0, 2–1 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Loss , 7–6 , align=left, Giedrius Morkis , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, October 30, 2010 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, 2010 University World Championships , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=3,
Torino, Italy Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...
, - , Loss , 7–5 , align=left,
Piotr Ianulov Piotr Ianulov (born 27 February 1986) is a Moldovan freestyle wrestler. He is a silver medalist at both the European Games and European Wrestling Championships. Career In 2015, at the European Games held in Baku, Azerbaijan, Ianulov won the s ...
, style="font-size:88%", 0–6 , - , Win , 7–4 , align=left, Alex Burk , style="font-size:88%", 9–2 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Loss , 6–4 , align=left, Adam Hall , style="font-size:88%", 2–0, 0–1, 2–4 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, May 28–29, 2010 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, 2010 US University World Team Trials , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=5,
Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...
, - , Win , 6–3 , align=left, Albert White , style="font-size:88%", 2–1, 2–0 , - , Loss , 5–3 , align=left, Jon Reader , style="font-size:88%", 0–4, 1–5 , - , Win , 5–2 , align=left, John Paul O`Connor , style="font-size:88%", 0–3, 4–3, 5–0 , - , Win , 4–2 , align=left, Matt Ballweg , style="font-size:88%", 5–1, 6–0 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Loss , 3–2 , align=left, David Bonin , style="font-size:88%", 1–2, 4–0, 3–3 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, April 22–24, 2010 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=2, 2010 US Open National Championships , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=5,
Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, - , Loss , 3–1 , align=left,
Travis Paulson Travis Paulson (born May 11, 1985) is an American freestyle wrestler who formerly competed at 74 kg for the United States of America. Biography Paulson wrestled for Lewis Central High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa during his high schoo ...
, style="font-size:88%", 3–1, 0–1, 0–6 , - , Win , 3–0 , align=left, Derek Peperas , style="font-size:88%", INJ , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, 2010 US Open National Championships – Qualifier , - , Win , 2–0 , align=left, David Foxen , style="font-size:88%", TF 6–0, 7–0 , - , Win , 1–0 , align=left, Michael Mitchell , style="font-size:88%", 3–5, 3–2, 6–0 , -


NCAA record

! colspan="8", NCAA Division II Championships Matches , - ! Res. ! Record ! Opponent ! Score ! Date ! Event , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2010 NCAA (DII) Championships at 174 lbs , - , Win , 11–2 , align=left, Luke Rynish , style="font-size:88%", 5–4 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, March 13, 2010 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, 2010 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships , - , Win , 10–2 , align=left, Christopher Barrick , style="font-size:88%", 6–5 , - , Win , 9–2 , align=left, Aaron Denson , style="font-size:88%", 2–0 , - , Win , 8–2 , align=left, Ben Becker , style="font-size:88%", 9–2 , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2009 NCAA (DII) Championships at 174 lbs , - , Loss , 7–2 , align=left, Brett Hunter , style="font-size:88%", 2–3 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, March 14, 2009 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, 2009 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships , - , Win , 7–1 , align=left, Ross Taplin , style="font-size:88%", 2–0 , - , Win , 6–1 , align=left, Jarret Hall , style="font-size:88%", 4–2 , - , Win , 5–1 , align=left, Luke Rynish , style="font-size:88%", 8–5 , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2008 NCAA (DII) Championships at 174 lbs , - , Win , 4–1 , align=left, Josh Shields , style="font-size:88%", 3–2 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, March 15, 2008 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, 2008 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships , - , Win , 3–1 , align=left, Chris Gibbs , style="font-size:88%", 4–1 , - , Loss , 2–1 , align=left, Albert Miles , style="font-size:88%", 2–6 , - , Win , 2–0 , align=left, Tyler Tubbs , style="font-size:88%", SV–1 7–5 , - , Win , 1–0 , align=left, Chris Gibbs , style="font-size:88%", MD 10–0 , -


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See also

*
List of current UFC fighters This list of current UFC fighters records current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighters' information, country origins, recent fighter signings and departures, fight schedules and results and the champion of each division. , the UFC roster ...
*
List of male mixed martial artists This is a list of notable professional male mixed martial arts fighters in alphabetical order. __NOTOC__ A * Shamil Abdurakhimov - ( M-1, UFC) * Daichi Abe - (UFC, Pancrase) * Hiroyuki Abe - (Shooto, KOTC, Cage Rage, DEEP, Pride) * Papy Ab ...


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Usman, Kamaru 1987 births American male mixed martial artists American people of Yoruba descent American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Living people Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing freestyle wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Nebraska–Kearney Lopers wrestlers American male sport wrestlers Nigerian male sport wrestlers Nigerian emigrants to the United States Nigerian male mixed martial artists Nigerian practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu People from Arlington, Texas People from Auchi Sportspeople from Arlington, Texas Sportspeople from Benin City Sportspeople from the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex The Ultimate Fighter winners Ultimate Fighting Championship champions Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters Welterweight mixed martial artists Yoruba sportspeople