Kamaru Usman UFC Biography: Age, Net Worth, Record, Brother and Loss
Kamaru Usman Biography UFC
Born on May 11, 1987, Kamarudeen Usman is a Nigerian-American professional mixed martial artist who also has experience in freestyle wrestling and folkstyle. He goes by Kamaru Usman in the workplace.
He now competes in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he also holds the title of UFC Welterweight Champion.
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Kamaru Usman triumphed in The Ultimate Fighter 21 competition as well. As of September 27, 2021, he is the UFC men’s pound-for-pound champion. He was a part of the US University World Team in 2010 and predominantly competed at the 84-kilogram weight class.
At 174 pounds, he competed in college sports and won the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2010. He was also a three-time NCAA DII All-American and qualified for the NAIA National Championship.
| Full Name: | Kamarudeen Usman |
| Stage Name: | Kamaru Usman |
| Born: | 11 May 1987 (age 36 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Auchi, Edo, Nigeria |
| State Of Origin: | Edo State |
| Nationality: | Nigerian |
| Height: | 1.83 m |
| Parents: | Muhammed Nasiru Usman, Afishetu P. Usman |
| Siblings: | Mohammed Usman, Kashetu Usman |
| Wife • Spouse: | Eleslie Dietzsch |
| Girlfriend • Partner: | N/A |
| Children: | Samirah Usman |
| Occupation: | Mixed Martial Artist • Freestyle Wrestler |
| Net Worth: | US$3 million |
Kamaru Usman Early Life UFC
On May 11, 1987, in Auchi, Nigeria’s Edo State, Kamaru Usman was born. His mother, Afishetu P. Usman, was a teacher, while his father, Muhammed Nasiru Usman, was a major in the Nigerian Army. He was raised with his two brothers, Mohammed Usman, an MMA fighter, and Kashetu Usman.
He endured destitution and a life of deprivation focused on his ecosystem as a child.
When Kamaru Usman was eight years old, his father Muhammed Nasiru Usman, who later immigrated to the US and worked as a pharmacist, brought the family over. They settled in Dallas, Texas.
Kamaru Usman Career UFC
At Bowie High School in Arlington, Texas, Kamaru Usman began competing in wrestling during his sophomore year of high school. He was given the moniker “Marty” when he first joined the squad because his wrestling coach couldn’t pronounce his first name, Kamarudeen, and he carried it with him throughout his amateur wrestling career.
Kamaru Usman, who had a 53-3 high school record and finished third at the Texas state championships, competed alongside Jon Jones at the senior national competition before departing for college.
In 2007, Kamaru Usman qualified for the NAIA national tournament at William Penn University in Iowa but was unable to go because of a snowfall. He was upset that half of his team and his head coach had gone early for the tournament without him, which caused him to decide to quit William Penn.
Later, under the direction of then-UNK wrestler Tervel Dlagnev, he transferred to the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK), which had previously attempted to recruit him. In 2008, he assisted the Lopers in winning their first-ever team championship.
In each of his three years at UNK, Kamaru Usman placed third nationally and reached two national finals. He finished the 2010 season with a 44-1 record and 30 straight victories, and at 174 pounds, he won the NCAA Division II national championship.
He transitioned to freestyle wrestling shortly after his folkstyle career came to an end, and he later moved in with the US Olympic Training Center with the hopes of making the 2012 Olympic team.
Kamaru Usman competed for the US University World Team in 2010, but injuries kept him off the field. After failing to advance to the 2012 US Olympic Team Trials, he eventually gave up on his Olympic dream and decided to concentrate on mixed martial arts.
Usman is permitted to use the moniker “The Nigerian Nightmare,” which is a trademark owned by former NFL player Christian Okoye.
Kamaru Usman coached Team Miller’s wrestlers in The Ultimate Fighter’s 14th season. After being unable to compete in freestyle wrestling at the 2012 US Olympic Team Trials, he made his professional MMA debut in November of that same year.
Before submitting an application to The Ultimate Fighter in early 2015, he had a 5-1 record in local promotions. In February 2015, it was revealed that Kamaru Usman was one of the contestants picked for The Ultimate Fighter 21.
In his TUF debut and quarterfinal match, Usman faced the unbeaten eventual Titan FC Welterweight Champion Michael Graves. He received a unanimous decision victory.
In the semifinals, Steve Carl, a seasoned veteran and former WSOF Welterweight Champion, squared up against Kamaru Usman. He went to the championship round after prevailing in the bout by unanimous decision.
At The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale on July 12, 2015, Kamaru Usman competed against Hayder Hassan. He obtained a six-figure UFC contract by winning the fight by submission in the second round. He also received the prize for the evening’s best performance.
On December 19, 2015, at UFC on Fox 17, he made his UFC debut against future contender Leon Edwards. He was victorious by unanimous decision.
Kamaru Usman was scheduled to face two-time Jiu-Jitsu World Champion Sérgio Moraes at UFC 198 on May 14, 2016. However, on May 1, it was announced that he had withdrawn from the fight for undisclosed reasons and had been replaced by promotional newcomer Luan Chagas.
On July 23, 2016, at UFC on Fox 20, he faced Alexander Yakovlev in his first fight of the year. After outgrappling Yakovlev, he won the one-sided fight by unanimous decision. On November 19, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 100, Kamaru Usman faced TUF: Brazil 3 tournament winner Warlley Alves. For the third time in a row, he won the match by unanimous decision.
On April 8, 2017, at UFC 210, Kamaru Usman faced former KOTC Middleweight Champion Sean Strickland. He once again won the fight via unanimous decision. On September 16, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 116, he faced off against Sérgio Moraes, who was riding a seven-fight winning streak. He won the fight with a first-round one-punch knockout.
Kamaru Usman was supposed to fight Venator FC Welterweight Champion Emil Weber Meek at UFC 219 on December 30, 2017, but Emil Weber Meek had visa issues, so the fight was rescheduled for UFC Fight Night 124.
After out-wrestling his opponent, he won the fight by unanimous decision. He was scheduled to face Santiago Ponzinibbio at UFC Fight Night 129 on May 19, 2018. However, due to an injury, Santiago Ponzinibbio was forced to withdraw from the card on April 21 and was replaced by ADCC Grappling World Champion and two-time UFC title challenger Demian Maia.
Kamaru Usman won the fight by unanimous decision after denying all fifteen takedown attempts by Demian Maia and outperforming his opponent on the feet.
On August 18, it was announced that he would serve as a back-up fighter for the UFC 228 main event, which would feature long-time champion Tyron Woodley vs. undefeated challenger Darren Till. On November 30, 2018, at The Ultimate Fighter 28 Finale, Kamaru Usman faced former UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael dos Anjos.
He was victorious by unanimous decision. This was his second win for Performance of the Night. Kamaru Usman, who was riding a nine-fight winning streak in the UFC, next faced UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley in the co-main event of UFC 235 on March 2, 2019.
He won the one-sided fight by unanimous decision after dominating Woodley for five rounds.
On December 14, 2019, Kamaru Usman made his first title defense against long-time rival Colby Covington at UFC 245 in Las Vegas. Despite the fact that both athletes are mostly offensive wrestlers, the fight did not include any grappling and instead featured high-paced offenses in the striking.
After a five-round “slugfest,” Kamaru Usman knocked down his opponent twice before finishing him with strikes in the fifth round to win via technical knockout, setting the record for the latest finish in UFC welterweight history. Both participants received the Fight of the Night award for this fight.
On July 12, 2020, at UFC 251, Kamaru Usman was set to defend his title for the second time against long-time teammate and two-time No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu World Champion Gilbert Burns.
Usman chose to train under Trevor Wittman before the fight despite the fact that they were both originally from the same camp, Sanford MMA.
Gilbert Burns tested positive for COVID-19 on July 3, 2020, according to the media, and he was subsequently removed from the card. On July 5, 2020, the media reported that Jorge Masvidal had stepped in as a last-minute replacement for Gilbert Burns.
According to reports, the event drew 1.3 million pay-per-view purchases in the United States, the most since UFC 229 in October 2018. Kamaru Usman was scheduled to defend his title against BJJ World Champion Gilbert Burns at UFC 256 on December 12, 2020.
On October 5, 2020, however, the media reported that Kamaru Usman had withdrawn from the fight, citing the need for more time to recover from undisclosed injuries. The fight was rescheduled for February 13, 2021, as the main event of UFC 258.
Kamaru Usman successfully defended his title for the third time, winning via technical knockout in the third round, breaking the record of former UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre, who had a thirteen-fight win streak.
This victory earned him the award for Performance of the Night. He will face Jorge Masvidal for the UFC Welterweight Championship for the fifth time on April 24, 2021, at UFC 261 in Florida.
He successfully defended his title by knocking out Jorge Masvidal in the second round, becoming the first fighter in UFC history to do so. With this victory, Kamaru Usman earned his fourth Performance of the Night bonus award.
On November 6, 2021, at UFC 268, he rematches Colby Covington for the UFC Welterweight Championship. He defended his title and was declared the winner by unanimous decision
Kamaru Usman will rematch Leon Edwards for the UFC Welterweight Championship on August 20, 2022, at UFC 278 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He returned to Sanford MMA to prepare for the upcoming bout.
Kamaru Usman Personal Life UFC
Born to a Muslim father and a Christian mother, Kamaru Usman identifies as a Muslim. Muhammed Nasiru Usman, who had prior larceny and drunk driving convictions in Tarrant County, was found guilty of a number of felonies connected to a health care fraud conspiracy, including money laundering and health care fraud, in May 2010.
He was given a 15-year prison term and must pay $1,300,000 in restitution before being allowed to leave FCI Seagoville on March 16, 2021.
Eleslie Dietzsch, a Brazilian entrepreneur, is Kamaru Usman’s wife.
Samirah Usman, Kamaru Usman’s daughter with his wife, was born in 2014.
Kamaru Usman Record UFC
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 22 matches | 20 wins | 2 losses |
| By knockout | 9 | 1 |
| By submission | 1 | 1 |
| By decision | 10 | 0 |
Kamaru Usman Net Worth UFC
Kamaru Usman’s net worth is estimated to be around $3 million, and it will only rise as he wins more fights.
Kamaru Usman Social Media UFC
- Twitter: @usman84kg
- Instagram: @usman84kg