Kamaru Usman

Kamarudeen "Kamaru" Usman, known as "The Nigerian Nightmare," is a Nigerian-American mixed martial artist who competed in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Usman was born in Auchi, Nigeria, and immigrated with his family to Arlington, Texas, as a child; his father, a former Nigerian Army major, settled the family there. He began wrestling in high school and went on to compete collegiately at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

At Nebraska-Kearney, Usman built one of the most decorated amateur wrestling resumes in MMA. He was a three-time NCAA Division II All-American, won the 2010 NCAA Division II national championship at 174 pounds, and helped lead his team to its first-ever national title. That wrestling pedigree became the foundation of his mixed martial arts career.

After breaking into the UFC by winning a season of the promotion's reality competition series, Usman developed under coach Trevor Wittman at Elevation Fight Team in Denver, Colorado, evolving from a wrestling-first grappler into a well-rounded fighter comfortable pressuring opponents against the fence and trading in open exchanges, complemented by a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt.

Usman climbed the welterweight ranks on a long unbeaten UFC run before capturing the UFC welterweight championship with a unanimous decision over Tyron Woodley at UFC 235, becoming the first Nigerian-born UFC champion. He went on to defend the title multiple times, defeating Colby Covington twice, Jorge Masvidal twice, and Gilbert Burns, before his championship reign eventually ended against Leon Edwards

Stats last updated: August 18, 2026