“Nigerian Nightmare,” Kamaru Usman, on Saturday, knocked out Jorge Masvidal barely 1 minute into the second round as he recorded a fourth successful defence of his championship.
The welterweight champion performed the feat with his entire family in attendance and in front of of a full crowd that has barely been the case since the #COVID19 pandemic.
It was also the first time Kamaru’s dad, Muhammed Usman would watch him in a live fight. He has been in jail since 2009 and was super excited to step out to see his son, the “Nigerian Nightmare” hand him the belt.
And for a proud daughter, it was daddy’s day:
In a stunning showcase of his evolving game, Usman made a skilful defence of his 170 pound title of their UFC main event rematch inside the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.
He was dominant throughout with takedowns and top control on the ground and Masvidal acknowledges that he fully expected it.
This is unlike their first meeting in 2020 when Masvidal accepted the fight on short notice and lost on a one-side decision.
Speaking about the latest encounter, Masvidal said, “He showed me something that he didn’t show the the first fight (when) I didn’t feel his power. That’s what happens when you get overconfident.
“I thought we were going to wrestle more and I was ready to wrestle for 25 minutes but all the props in the world to him. He has got my number. There is nothing more to say. He won this fair and square and God bless him.”
After the fight, Usman said, “Y’all said you wanted violence, you’re welcome. First and foremost, no disrespect, thanks to Jorge. You elevated me and it’s been a while since I’ve been nervous for a fight but I had to go to the workshop and bring all my tools out for this fight.
“I’m still getting better all the time and this fight proves it. Coach kept yelling at me to stay with fundamentals and that’s it. I know I’m the pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet right now with these fundamentals. “
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