Kamaru Usman Names Rival That Had Him ‘Super Nervous’ During Title Run

Kamaru Usman overcame some doubt early on in his UFC title run.

For a time, Usman was one of the most feared fighters in the welterweight division, knocking out title challengers left and right. That didn’t stop him from being a little afraid himself – after all, the former champion is only human.

So, which UFC fighter had “The Nigerian Nightmare” the most rattled before entering the Octagon? Well, as Usman explains, that honor likely goes to his former foe Jorge Masvidal – who had all the hype in the world going into his first title fight with Usman back in 2020.

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Masvidal became the 2019 ‘Fighter of the Year’ with a trio of victories over the likes of Darren Till, Ben Askren and lastly Nate Diaz, that saw him become the UFC’s first-ever BMF Champion with a doctor’s stoppage TKO. Though, what really stood out from Masvidal’s performances was his 5-second flying knee KO of the undefeated Askren which broke the record for the fastest knockout in the company’s history.

“I say one of the most violent [knockouts] because of, he was out for almost like two, three minutes,” Usman said of Masvidal’s KO on ‘Pound 4 Pound‘. “He was out. I remember I was there. I remember watching like, ‘Oh s***, he still stiff. Not is he out, but he’s still stiff. Then, all that happens, that was 2019 and then I think maybe a year later you and I fight…”

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Usman and Masvidal fought each other for the first time at UFC 251 under “the craziest circumstances” after title challenger Gilbert Burns withdrew due to COVID-19 and Masvidal replaced him on six days notice, flying across the world to fight Usman on the UFC’s ‘Fight Island’ in Abu Dhabi.

This wasn’t Usman’s first rodeo given that it was his third UFC title fight, but the champion felt uneasy heading into this unexpected and rather risky title defense against Masvidal.

“Of course, we get nervous for every fight, but one of the first times it got to me, everything around me got to me because, bro, they’re playing your viral knockout, one the most viral knockouts ever,” Usman said of the Askren knockout. “They’re playing that thing every freaking minute on every channel everywhere, on all the socials everywhere. I’m like, ‘Oh, this guy’s trying to come in on six days notice…’ Now I’m trying to make the mental switch. Like, ‘Oh, I’m gonna be fighting a different style. He’s [got] fast hands. He’s a good counter puncher.’ I’m trying to picture all this, but I’m seeing this every day. They’re asking me every interview, how are you gonna deal with this? I’m watching your interviews and you’re [saying] ‘I’m gonna baptize this guy’.”

“[Masvidal] f****** gets to me,” Usman continued. “I’m like, ‘Oh s***, is he gonna baptize me? What the f*** is it? I’m in a hotel and I’m super nervous for this, especially that – that moment before you go to the arena for the fight, and I’m in my room just like, ‘Why the f***am I so nervous right now? Get it together…’ I would say that was probably one of the most nerve-wracking fights that I had.”

Usman ended up fighting through his fears to win a dominant unanimous decision over Masvidal at UFC 251. After going the distance with “Gamebred” in 2020, the welterweights would meet in a rematch a year later, this time with a full training camp for both. Usman left no doubt that he was the better fighter, knocking out Masvidal in brutal fashion at UFC 261 to remain the UFC Welterweight Champion.

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Once bitter rivals, Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal seem to have made up based on their recent podcast appearance years later in 2024.

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