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, incorpo ...

, former freestyle wrestler and retired

folkstyle wrestler 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 ...

. 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 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

All-American, and a NAIA national qualifier.

Background

Usman was born in

Auchi Auchi is a city in Edo State, Nigeria. Auchi Sacred Kingdom (ASK), which is part of Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, serves as the Local Government headquarters. Other towns in the Etsako West local government area include: Uz ...

, Nigeria. His father was a major 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 Nigeria ...

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 ...

(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 wi ...

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 school, post-secondary educati ...

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 at the senior national tournament before leaving for college. In college, Usman wrestled in

Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, 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: Wiscon ...

at William Penn University 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 St ...

(UNK), which previously tried to recruit him under advisement of then-UNK wrestler

Tervel Dlagnev Tervel Ivaylov Dlagnev ( bg, Тервел Ивайлов Длагнев, born November 19, 1985) is an American freestyle wrestler, who represented the United States in the 125 kg weight division. He earned a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympi ...

, 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

national champion at 174 pounds in 2010, finishing the season with a 44–1 record and 30 straight wins. Shortly after his folkstyle 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, 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 strike (attack), striking, grappling and ground f ...

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 ma ...

(NFL) star

Christian Okoye Christian Emeka Okoye (; born August 16, 1961) is a Nigerian-American former American football running back for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1987 to 1992. Nicknamed the "Nigerian Nightmare", he is known for his powerful running style and ability ...

, 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

coach for Team Miller in The Ultimate Fighter season fourteen. After failing to qualify for the 2012 US Olympic Team Trials in

, 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

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 Gr ...

. He won the fight via majority decision. In the semifinals, Usman faced off against long-time veteran and former WSOF Welterweight Champion

Steve Carl Steven Joseph "Steve" Carl (born December 20, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist. A professional MMA competitor since 2005, Carl previously competed for Bellator from 2010 to 2011 and last competed in the welterweight division for Absolute ...

. He won the fight via unanimous decision and advanced to the finals. In the finals, Usman faced

Hayder Hassan Heider Hassan ( ar, حيدر حسن, born October 20, 1982) is an Americans, American mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who currently competes at Brave Combat Federation. A professional competitor since 2009, he has competed for the UFC, ...

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 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 prof ...

on December 19, 2015, at UFC on Fox 17. He won the fight by unanimous decision.

2016

Usman was expected to face two-time World Jiu-Jitsu Champion Sérgio Moraes on May 14, 2016, at UFC 198. 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. In his first bout of the year, Usman faced Alexander Yakovlev on July 23, 2016, at UFC on Fox 20. He won the one-sided fight via unanimous decision after out-grappling Yakovlev. Usman faced TUF: Brazil 3 tournament winner Warlley Alves on November 19, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 100. He won the match by unanimous decision for the third-straight time.

2017

Usman faced former long-time KOTC Middleweight Champion Sean Strickland on April 8, 2017, at UFC 210. He once again won the fight via unanimous decision. A rescheduled bout with a Sérgio Moraes on a seven-match unbeaten streak eventually took place on September 16, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 116. Usman won the fight via one-punch knockout in the first round. Usman was scheduled to face Venator FC Welterweight Champion Emil Weber Meek on December 30, 2017, at

UFC 219 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 ...

, however, Meek presented VISA problems and the pair was rescheduled for

UFC Fight Night 124 ''UFC Fight Night: Stephens vs. Choi'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 124'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on January 14, 2018, at Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Background The ...

. Usman won the fight by unanimous decision after out-wrestling his opponent.

2018

Usman was expected to face Santiago Ponzinibbio on May 19, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 129. 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. 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 main event match between long-time champion Tyron Woodley and undefeated challenger Darren Till. Usman faced former UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael dos Anjos 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 award.

UFC Welterweight Champion

2019

Riding a nine-fight winning streak in the UFC, Usman next faced UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley on March 2, 2019, in the co-main event at UFC 235. 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 at UFC 245 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 is ...

and contained high-paced offense in the

striking Strike may refer to: People *Strike (surname) Physical confrontation or removal *Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm *Airstrike, military strike by air forces on either a suspected ...

instead. After a fight often referred to as a five-round " slugfest", Usman was able to

knockdown Knockdown or knock-down may refer to: * Knockdown, a situation in full-contact combat sports where a fighter is down or vulnerable, often preliminary to a knockout * "Knockdown" (Castle), the thirteenth episode of the third season of the TV serie ...

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 on July 12, 2020 at UFC 251. Both being originally from the same camp – Sanford MMA – Usman opted to train under Trevor Wittman 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 identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickl ...

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; he ...

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 in October 2018.

2021

Usman was once again scheduled to defend his title against BJJ World Champion Gilbert 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, Unit ...

. 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. 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 Georges St-Pierre for the largest win-streak in the division with thirteen. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award. For his fifth title bout, Usman rematched against

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 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'' bonus award. Usman rematched Colby Covington for the

on November 6, 2021 at UFC 268. Usman retained his championship, being declared the winner via unanimous decision.

2022

Usman rematched

for his sixth title defense on August 20, 2022 at UFC 278. 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 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 ...

, 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, ...

on March 16, 2021. Usman has a daughter who was born in 2014. Usman has a younger brother named Mohammed who was also in

, 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 athlete, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic sports, ...

** 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 stud ...

** 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 The Uil ( kk, Ойыл, translit=Oyyl; russian: Уил, translit=Uil) is a river of western Kazakhstan. It discharges into the Lake Aktobe A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any ...

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

(One time) ***Five successful title defenses ** First Nigerian-born UFC champion ** The Ultimate Fighter 21 tournament winner ** Performance of the Night (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 **2019 December Fight of the Month **2021 February Fight of the Month vs. Gilbert Burns **2021 April Knockout of the Month vs.

* World MMA Awards **2021 The Charles 'Mask' Lewis Fighter of the Year * MMA Fighting **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 Au ...

**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. Be ...

**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 (Manhattan), 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS ...

**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 W ...

** Mixed Martial Arts Most Valuable (2021) ** Most Outstanding Fighter of the Year (2021) *

BT Sport BT Sport is a group of pay television sports channels in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Owned by Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe and BT Group, they first launched on 1 August 2013. The channels are based at the former International Broad ...

**2021 Male Fighter of the Year

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 20–2 ,

, KO (head kick) , UFC 278 , , 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 , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 268 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

New York City, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 19–1 ,

, KO (punch) , UFC 261 , , 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 List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–1 , Gilbert Burns , TKO (punches) , UFC 258 , , 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 Vega ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC 251 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 , Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates , , - , Win , align=center, 16–1 , Colby Covington , TKO (punches) , UFC 245 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 4:10 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–1 , Tyron Woodley , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 235 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–1 , Rafael dos Anjos , Decision (unanimous) , The Ultimate Fighter: Heavy Hitters Finale , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–1 , Demian Maia , 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, who ...

, Chile , , - , Win , align=center, 12–1 , Emil Weber Meek , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Stephens vs. Choi , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , St. Louis, Missouri, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 , Sérgio Moraes , KO (punch) , UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Branch , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:48 ,

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsyl ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 , Sean Strickland , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 210 , , 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 Sou ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 , Warlley Alves , 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 Ga ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 , Alexander Yakovlev , 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 = List of sovereign states, Count ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on Fox: dos Anjos vs. Cowboy 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Orlando, Florida, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 ,

, Submission (arm-triangle choke) , The Ultimate Fighter: American Top Team vs. Blackzilians Finale , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:19 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 , Marcus Hicks , 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) nort ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–1 , Lenny Lovoto , TKO (punches) , Legacy FC 30 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:04 , Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–1 , Steven Rodriguez , TKO (punches) , Legacy FC 27 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:31 , Houston, Texas, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–1 , Rashid Abdullah , TKO (punches) , VFC 41 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:49 , Ralston, Nebraska, 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, Buffalo County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 30,787 in the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is home to the University of Nebraska at Kearney. The westward push o ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 ,

, 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 ,

, 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 ...

, - , Win , 35–25 , align=left, Ed Richmond , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Loss , 34–25 , align=left, Jake Herbert , style="font-size:88%", 2–5, 1–5 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Loss , 34–24 , align=left, Narsingh Yadav , 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 , - , 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 , 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,

, - , Win , 30–21 , align=left, Travis Paulson , 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,

, - , Win , 25–19 , align=left, Mike Tamillow , style="font-size:88%", 2–1, 3–0 , - , Loss , 24–19 , align=left,

Jaime Espinal Jaime Yusept Espinal Fajardo (born October 14, 1984) is a Dominican-born Puerto Rican freestyle wrestler. In 2012 he became the first Olympic medalist in wrestling for Puerto Rico by winning a silver medal in the 84 kg division. Early ye ...

, 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, in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the most populous city in the East Valley section of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is bordered by Tempe on the west, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community ...

, - , 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 Fall ...

, - , 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. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 Census, the city ...

, - , 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 , - , 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,

, 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 , - , 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,

, - , 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 , - , 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 t ...

, 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 , - , 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 , - , Loss , 3–1 , align=left, Travis Paulson , 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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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