According to the Nigerian Nightmare Kamaru Usman, he felt intimidated ahead of his fight against Jorge Masvidal.
Kamaru Usman has an iron mindset and strong wrestling abilities, therefore he was rarely afraid, but one opponent truly got under his skin.
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The vicious boxer cemented his legacy as one of the finest welterweights of all time with a historic welterweight run.
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Kamaru Usman: Nigerian Nightmare set for UFC return against Shavkat Rakhmonov or Stephen Thompson
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Even the greatest, though, must get beyond the psychological barrier of entering a cage with someone who has the power to knock you out at any moment.
In the year 2020, Kamaru Usman was at the pinnacle of the welterweight division.
Many started to argue that the Nigerian was among the finest in the history of the weight class after his impressive wins over Tyron Woodley and Gilbert Burns.
Possessing an unwavering determination to succeed, Usman demonstrated his abilities as a diligent warrior, prepared to go above and beyond to complete tasks.
Usman and Masvidal
But when he faced Jorge Masvidal head-to-head, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
After all, "Gamebred" was experiencing a spectacular run of success at the moment.
The Miami fighter knocked out Darren Till before destroying Ben Askren with the most devastating flying knee the mixed martial arts world has ever seen.
Usman was shivering down his spine at that vicious finish.
In spite of this, the former champion showed remarkable self-confidence by remaining composed and winning a convincing decision. Two years later, he KO'd the opponent in the second round of their rematch.
Now that the dust has settled, he invited Masvidal to his Pound 4 Pound podcast for an open conversation during which he revealed how the Askren knockout made him feel prior to their epic fight.
With 1.3 million and 700,000 PPV sales for their respective bouts, the rivalry between the two is still one of the most cherished in UFC history.
In October 2023, the former champion was defeated by Khamazat Chimaev via decision, and since then, he has not participated.
"Fight Inc: Inside the UFC," a recent documentary, Matchmakers Sean Shelby and Hunter Campbell, together with Dana White, were overheard talking about a possible collision between Usman and Shavkat Rakhmonov.
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