Kamarudeen Usman aka Kamaru Usman was born on May 11, 1987. He is a retired folkstyle wrestler, professional mixed martial artist, and former freestyle wrestler who is both American and Nigerian. He was once the UFC Welterweight Champion and the victor of The Ultimate Fighter 21 tournament. He presently fights in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is currently ranked first in the UFC men's welterweight division and fourth in the men's pound-for-pound division as of November 14, 2022.
Usman was a member of the 2010 U.S. University World Team and predominantly participated in freestyle wrestling at a weight of 84 kilos (185 lb). He was the 2010 NCAA Division II national champion, a three-time NCAA Division II All-American, and an NAIA national qualifier while competing collegiately at 174 pounds (79 kg).
| Name | Kamarudeen Usman |
| D.O.B | May 11, 1987 |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
| Weight | 77 kg |
| Occupation | Wrestler, Mixed Martial Artist |
| Professional Debut | 2010 |
| Wife | Eleslie Dietzsch |
| Nicknames | The Nigerian Nightmare |
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Usman was born in Nigeria’s Auchi. His mother was a teacher, while his father served as a major in the Nigerian Army. His two brothers are Mohammed and Kashetu, the latter of whom also competes in mixed martial arts and was a winner of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). Usman was raised in a simple environment as a youngster. When Usman was eight years old, his father Muhammed Nasiru Usman, who later immigrated to the United States and trained as a pharmacist, brought his family with him. They settled in Dallas, Texas.
Kamaru Usman began competing in combat sports as a high school amateur. He had a 53-3 record before enrolling in college. Usman qualified for the NAIA national tournament throughout his collegiate career. Due to the snowfall, he was unable to attend the tournament. As a result, he moved colleges and enrolled at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Usman finished with a 44-1 record to win the NAIA tournament and the NCAA Division II championship.
Usman finally made the switch to MMA, making his debut against David Glover at RFA 5 in 2012. Usman prevailed via TKO in the second round (punches). Usman’s next fight ended in defeat at CFA 11, although he later recovered to go on a four-fight winning streak and finish with a record of 5-1. After that, he signed up to compete in Ultimate Fighter 21 for the UFC in 2015.
Kamaru Usman’s big break came when he signed up for The Ultimate Fighter 21 and competed as a member of the Blackziliains team. The Nigerian Nightmare was the show’s dominant performer and went unbeaten all the way to the championship match against Hayder Hassan. Usman would triumph in the fight via arm-triangle choke in the second round to claim the title of “Ultimate Fighter” and get a six-figure deal from the UFC.
In his UFC debut on Fox 17, The Nigerian Nightmare extended his winning streak from The Ultimate Fighter by defeating Leon Edwards by a unanimous decision. After that, Usman had a 9-fight winning streak in the UFC, winning over fighters like Sean Strickland and former UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael dos Anjos. At UFC 235, Kamaru faced Tyron Woodley, the champion, for the UFC Welterweight Championship. He ended Woodley’s three-year reign as the UFC Welterweight Champion by defeating Woodley by Unanimous Decision.
As he successfully defended the championship against Colby Convington, Gilburt Burns, and Jorge Masvidal twice, Kamaru continued to rule the Welterweight category. In a rematch at UFC 268, Kamaru strengthened his hold on the division by triumphing over Colby Covington by unanimous decision. But in their rematch, Usman’s former foe Leon Edwards would triumph and unseat him as the welterweight champion. The Nigerian Nightmare has now suffered two defeats after losing his championship to “Rocky” at UFC 278 through a last-second knockout kick.
Folkstyle wrestling
Mixed martial arts
| 22 matches | 20 wins | 2 losses |
| By knockout | 9 | 1 |
| By submission | 1 | 1 |
| By decision | 10 | 0 |
