On 2 March 2019, in Las Vegas, Kamaru Usman beat Tyron Woodley so completely that the result was never in doubt. He left the octagon as the first African-born champion in UFC history.
Usman, nicknamed “The Nigerian Nightmare”, won the UFC welterweight title at UFC 235 by unanimous decision after controlling Woodley for five rounds. He went on to defend the belt five times and was ranked at the top of the sport’s pound-for-pound lists.
From Nigeria to Texas
Usman was born in Auchi, in Edo State, Nigeria. He moved to the United States with his family when he was eight, joining his father, who had gone ahead, and grew up in the Dallas area of Texas. He began wrestling in high school and went on to a successful college wrestling career, winning a national title in the NCAA Division II.
After college, he trained with the United States Olympic wrestling programme before turning to mixed martial arts, where his wrestling became the foundation of a punishing style.
The rise
Usman won The Ultimate Fighter reality show competition in 2015, earning a UFC contract. He then won fight after fight, climbing the rankings with a mix of relentless wrestling and improving striking until he earned the title shot against Woodley.
As champion, he beat challengers including Colby Covington, twice, and Jorge Masvidal, twice, with a knockout of Masvidal in 2021 that became one of his signature moments.
Three African champions
Usman’s reign came at the same time as Israel Adesanya, also born in Nigeria, and Francis Ngannou, born in Cameroon, held UFC titles. For a period in 2021, three of the UFC’s champions were African-born, a moment celebrated across the continent.
The kick
On 20 August 2022, at UFC 278 in Salt Lake City, Usman was ahead on the scorecards against Leon Edwards in the fifth and final round. With less than a minute left, Edwards landed a left high kick to the head and knocked him out. It ended Usman’s reign and a 19-fight winning streak. He lost the rematch in London in 2023.
Nigerian pride
Usman often speaks about his roots and the importance of representing Africa. His nickname, and his flag on fight nights, made sure every opponent knew where he came from.
Israel Adesanya
The fighter most often mentioned alongside Usman is Israel Adesanya, born in Lagos in 1989, who moved with his family to New Zealand as a child and won the UFC middleweight title in 2019. Both men carried the Nigerian flag into the octagon, and their title reigns overlapped for several years. At UFC events in 2019 and 2020, Nigerian fans could watch two of their own defend belts on the same night.
He dominated a division for more than three years. It took a kick in the final minute of a fight he was winning to end it.
