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Kamaru Usman, top-10 welterweight, TUF champ, continues to win and climb the divisional ranks. Usman's message to the Welterweight division is a scary one, he's just getting started.
On where he is at in his career skill-wise: “To be honest, I won’t say that its clicked yet. I like to say I’m probably 1/5th of the fighter that I could be. I’ve only been doing this for 4 1/2 years now and I’m one of those guys where I pick things up pretty quick. I put the work into it. It’s one thing my coaches always preach, ‘when you put that work into it and you’re completely invested, one day it’s gonna happen.’ It’s just starting to come to fruition, everything is starting to happen. I think I’m about 1/5th of the way there."
On his fighting style and approach: "It's kind of a mentality I grew up with when I started wrestling in high school. When I was wrestling, anybody can catch a guy on their back, get a lucky throw and trip them, catch them on their back and get a pin. It’s kind of the same thing with MMA. Of course you’re supposed to train to be at your best, and in the heat of things, anyone can kind of put their head down and throw a lucky punch, and boom, you’re knocked out. And they’re ‘oh, wow, I knocked this guy out.’ They feel that way. But, for me, I don’t think any one of my opponents will honestly say ‘I want to fight that guy again.’
“It wasn’t just a lucky knockout or anything like that, I broke them. Physically, mentally, I broke their will in there. That’s just the mentality that I’ve always had. Of course, getting that finish is what I want, and like I said, I’m 1/5th of the way there. Eventually, they’ll start to come. Once I start to open up and put everything together.”
Wanting to fight Neil Magny: I’m not one of these guys that is seeking attention. I'm not calling out just any guy in the division, of course, I wouldn’t mind fighting all of the guys in the division. At the end of the day, I can’t do this forever. So, I know the end goal and what having that title means, and the doors that the title can open for you. I want to get there, so looking at the fights that make sense, not just for myself and my style, but for the people that love this sport. There’s science behind this madness, and I want to keep it that way.
“I want (Neil) Magny. Magny is sixth in the world, and that fight jumps me up. That’s a fight that does something for me. The fight with Strickland, I took that fight because I wanted to test myself. He was 18-1 and beat some of the top prospects in the division. I knew that fight wasn’t going to do much for me ranking wise, as far as getting me up there, but I wanted to test myself to really see where I was at. I’m looking for something that will get me up there, because I turn 30 this year, I want to get to that title, I want to hold onto it for a while, maybe try to break a couple of records and move on from this sport.
“Something is going on with him (Magny), not sure what it is, maybe he’s taking a little break. I’m happy to wait for him. July, International Fight Week, or one of those big cards around there. It’s a good style clash and I think we would put on a good fight. He’s a tough guy, I respect him a lot, and I think that’s a good test for me.”
How the Welterweight division should feel about being only a 1/5th of the way there: “They should definitely be scared. Once I start to put it together, I don’t think I can be touched.”
On where he is at in his career skill-wise: “To be honest, I won’t say that its clicked yet. I like to say I’m probably 1/5th of the fighter that I could be. I’ve only been doing this for 4 1/2 years now and I’m one of those guys where I pick things up pretty quick. I put the work into it. It’s one thing my coaches always preach, ‘when you put that work into it and you’re completely invested, one day it’s gonna happen.’ It’s just starting to come to fruition, everything is starting to happen. I think I’m about 1/5th of the way there."
On his fighting style and approach: "It's kind of a mentality I grew up with when I started wrestling in high school. When I was wrestling, anybody can catch a guy on their back, get a lucky throw and trip them, catch them on their back and get a pin. It’s kind of the same thing with MMA. Of course you’re supposed to train to be at your best, and in the heat of things, anyone can kind of put their head down and throw a lucky punch, and boom, you’re knocked out. And they’re ‘oh, wow, I knocked this guy out.’ They feel that way. But, for me, I don’t think any one of my opponents will honestly say ‘I want to fight that guy again.’
“It wasn’t just a lucky knockout or anything like that, I broke them. Physically, mentally, I broke their will in there. That’s just the mentality that I’ve always had. Of course, getting that finish is what I want, and like I said, I’m 1/5th of the way there. Eventually, they’ll start to come. Once I start to open up and put everything together.”
Wanting to fight Neil Magny: I’m not one of these guys that is seeking attention. I'm not calling out just any guy in the division, of course, I wouldn’t mind fighting all of the guys in the division. At the end of the day, I can’t do this forever. So, I know the end goal and what having that title means, and the doors that the title can open for you. I want to get there, so looking at the fights that make sense, not just for myself and my style, but for the people that love this sport. There’s science behind this madness, and I want to keep it that way.
“I want (Neil) Magny. Magny is sixth in the world, and that fight jumps me up. That’s a fight that does something for me. The fight with Strickland, I took that fight because I wanted to test myself. He was 18-1 and beat some of the top prospects in the division. I knew that fight wasn’t going to do much for me ranking wise, as far as getting me up there, but I wanted to test myself to really see where I was at. I’m looking for something that will get me up there, because I turn 30 this year, I want to get to that title, I want to hold onto it for a while, maybe try to break a couple of records and move on from this sport.
“Something is going on with him (Magny), not sure what it is, maybe he’s taking a little break. I’m happy to wait for him. July, International Fight Week, or one of those big cards around there. It’s a good style clash and I think we would put on a good fight. He’s a tough guy, I respect him a lot, and I think that’s a good test for me.”
How the Welterweight division should feel about being only a 1/5th of the way there: “They should definitely be scared. Once I start to put it together, I don’t think I can be touched.”
