Kamaru Usman made another successful title defense at UFC 261. In a rematch with Jorge Masvidal, the Nigerian claimed victory via knockout in the second round.
Following his fourth consecutive defense, Usman is undeniably one of the greatest UFC fighters now. Moreover, he has expressed his desire to be the No.1 P4P fighter. After his knockout on Masvidal, it seems even more likely.
Dana White also insists that he is now ‘one of the best ever’. “No matter how you feel, the guy is getting booed in there tonight, (but) he’s one of the best ever,” says White. Most importantly, Dana points out how Usman is getting better with each fight.
Kamaru Usman of Nigeria punches Jorge Masvidal of the United States during the Welterweight Title bout of UFC 261 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on April 25, 2021, in Jacksonville, Florida. (Credits: Getty Images)
“He changed after he gave that whole, ‘I only gave 30 percent tonight thing.’ He’s been a different human being ever since the (Rafael dos Anjos) fight.” White explains the progress that Kamaru has made since The Ultimate Fighter 28 Finale.
In his last fight leading up to the title fight, Usman took on RDA. Even though he won via ‘U-Dec’, fans were not content. Everyone claimed that Usman would simply wrestle his opponent for the entire fight. Kamaru was not exciting enough to watch.
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Road To Glory for Kamaru Usman
However, Kamaru Usman has been improving with every fight since then. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ has improved other aspects of his game, most notably his striking. As such, he has slowly been proving all his critics wrong.
Kamaru Usman of Nigeria kicks Jorge Masvidal in their UFC welterweight championship fight during the UFC 251 event. (Credits: Getty Images)
Even after becoming a champion, people had their reservations about Usman. Moreover, when he beat Masvidal at UFC 251, fans were quick to take Gamebred’s side and appeal for a rematch. As such, Usman put up one of his best displays and knocked Jorge out cold.
Next, Usman is set to make his title defense against Colby Covington. The pair fought at UFC 245 where Usman apparently broke Colby’s jaw. Kamaru holds the record for the most wins in UFC welterweight history (14) and will probably add to it later this year.
Read More: It’s the fight to make! Dana White Hints to Fix Colby Covington vs Kamaru Usman Matchup Next
