UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has explained why he sees himself as the challenger when he competes.
Throughout the course of the last few years there has been one man standing head and shoulders above the rest at 170 pounds - and his name is Kamaru Usman. âThe Nigerian Nightmareâ is quite easily one of the most dominant fighters in all of mixed martial arts and after successfully defending his title five times, you could make the argument that heâs beginning to contend for âwelterweight GOATâ status alongside Georges St-Pierre.
Of course, he still has some work to do in order to get there, but the 35-year-old is certainly on the right path.
It takes a great deal of courage to get into the Octagon regardless of whether or not you hold the gold but at his level, itâs particularly daunting to know the world is watching to see if you can match the incredibly high standards youâve set for yourself.
In a recent interview, Usman explained how he deals with that pressure.
âIâm going to be honest, when those older fighters say that, I understand what they say when they say that, I completely understand what they are saying. When you get there, you would think, oh you are now a champion everything else is smoother. No, thatâs not the case at all,â Usman said.
âThe pressure continues to build because with each and every fight there is more and more riding on it. For me, itâs just a matter of I donât think of myself as, hey Iâm the champ and Iâm going out there to defend the belt. For me, Iâm a challenger each and every time I step in there.Â
âYou think about it, whoâs the challenger? The number one challenger is usually the hungriest guy in the world because they have never tasted this, they want this. Iâm in the same mindset each and every time when I prepare for these fights. When I get in there, there is nothing these guys can do that I havenât seen or that Iâm not ready for.â
Whatâs next for the king?
While he may be calling out Canelo Alvarez at every available opportunity, Kamaru Usman has a few more things left to sort out in the welterweight division.
Heâs expected to defend the strap against Leon Edwards later this year with the Brit finally getting his long-awaited shot at the gold. After that, thereâs every chance he could face the next big thing as Khamzat Chimaev continues to climb up through the ranks.
For the time being, though, this is still his kingdom.