Biography(references)Usman was born in Auchi, Nigeria. His father was a major in the Nigerian Army and his mother was a teacher. He has two brothers, Kashetu and Mohammed, the latter of whom is also a mixed martial artist and fellow The Ultimate Fighter winner. Usman had a modest upbringing during his childhood. Usman's father Muhammed Nasiru Usman, who became a pharmacist in the United States, brought his family into the country when Usman was eight years old, immigrating to Dallas, Texas.
Fighter Trivia(references)His father, Muhammed Nasiru Usman, who had previous convictions in Tarrant County for theft and drunk driving, was convicted in May 2010 of various offenses, including health care fraud and money laundering, related to a health care fraud scheme. Usman has a younger brother named Mohammed who was also in The Ultimate Fighter, in the Heavyweight division, winning the UFC contract and becoming the first two brothers to do so. Kamaru Usman was cast in the film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; he played the role of a warrior.
Awards & Accolades
National Collegiate Athletic Association: NCAA Division II National Championship (174 lbs, 2010)
National Collegiate Athletic Association: NCAA Division II All-American (174 lbs, 2008, 2009, 2010)
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics: NAIA National Qualifier (165 lbs, 2007)
University Interscholastic League: UIL All-State out of Bowie High School (145 lbs, 2005)
National Wrestling Coaches Association: Jim Koch Division II Hall of Fame, 2022 Class
UFC: UFC Welterweight Championship (One time). Five successful title defenses
UFC: Five successful title defenses
UFC: First Nigerian-born UFC champion
UFC: The Ultimate Fighter 21 tournament winner
UFC: Performance of the Night (Four times) vs. Hayder Hassan, Rafael dos Anjos, Gilbert Burns, and Jorge Masvidal
UFC: Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Colby Covington
UFC: Latest finish in UFC Welterweight history vs. Colby Covington
UFC: Latest knockout in UFC title fight history vs. Colby Covington
UFC: Most consecutive wins in UFC Welterweight history (15)
UFC: Second most consecutive wins in UFC History (15)
UFC: Tied (with three fighters) for second most unanimous decision wins in UFC history (10)
UFC: 2021 Fighter of the Year
UFC: 2021 Knockout of the Year vs. Jorge Masvidal
UFC: Five successful title defenses
MMAJunkie.com: 2019 December Fight of the Month vs. Colby Covington
MMAJunkie.com: 2021 February Fight of the Month vs. Gilbert Burns
MMAJunkie.com: 2021 April Knockout of the Month vs. Jorge Masvidal
World MMA Awards: 2021 The Charles 'Mask' Lewis Fighter of the Year
MMA Fighting: 2021 Fighter of the Year
MMA Fighting: 2021 Knockout of the Year vs. Jorge Masvidal
ESPN: 2021 Male Fighter of the Year
MMA Mania: 2021 Knockout of the Year vs. Jorge Masvidal
Bleacher Report: 2021 Fighter of the Year
Yahoo! Sports: 2021 Fighter of the Year
Cageside Press: 2021 Fighter of the Year
Lowkick MMA: 2021 Fighter of the Year
CBS Sports: 2021 Fighter of the Year
Combat Press: 2021 Male Fighter of the Year
Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Mixed Martial Arts Most Valuable (2021)
Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Most Outstanding Fighter of the Year (2021)
UFC Debut: Kamaru Usman vs Hayder Hassan | Free Fight
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