The GOATS, the all-timers, and the champions will always point to their career highlights when discussing their legacies. And yet, there are a few top-tier athletes who like to both bask in the light of their glories and sit in the shadows of their biggest defeats. As a UFC fighter who has dealt with many highs and lows, Kamaru Usman learned how to transform the energy of setbacks into positive momentum.
Usman, a former welterweight champion and #1 pound-for-pound fighter, returned to the winner’s circle this past weekend for the first time in almost four years. The Nigerian Nightmare ended a three-fight losing streak with an impressive win over the in-form Joaquin Buckley. It was a make-or-break fight for Usman. And in the grand scheme of his story, it was another redemptive moment in a rollercoaster last few years.
Usman’s attitude towards adversity hasn’t just impressed his UFC peers; it caught the eye of an iconic star from basketball, too. In a clip shared on UFC’s X account in late 2022, Usman discussed the highs and the hardships of his UFC career. The clip was posted just four months after the biggest loss in his career. The August 2022 loss to Leon Edwards brought Usman’s three-and-a-half-year reign as welterweight champ to a screeching halt.
Acclimatized to setbacks, Usman saw the social media collaboration with the UFC and Crypto as an opportunity to unpack the mental baggage of his title loss. Opening up about being brave in the face of hardship, the NBA’s all-time leading point scorer, LeBron James responded with his seal of approval for the Nigerian fighter.
“Strive for Greatness,” wrote LeBron, followed by flexed bicep and crown emojis. LeBron also tagged Usman in the post directly.
Strive for Greatness @Usman84kg #CROfam @cryptocom https://t.co/A09ofVH5Co
— LeBron James (@KingJames) December 19, 2022
With his latest victory, Usman has illustrated the importance of mental fortitude in the preparation for his fights. Had he lost a fourth straight bout, Usman might’ve been released by the UFC and possibly forced into retirement.
Instead, he stands on the precipice of a renaissance, with only the division’s absolute finest ahead of him.
What’s next for Usman
It was a bolt from the blue. The head kick felt all around the world. Less than a minute away from what looked like another decision win for Usman, and Edwards struck out of nowhere. It shattered Usman and put him on a road to recovery that only concluded this past weekend.
Footage of that memorable KO featured in the 2022 clip from the UFC’s X account. Rather than shy away from it, Usman recognized that these setbacks are essential in the search for success.
“My relationship with hardship is we’re friends,” said Usman over the footage of Edwards’ KO. “We’re friends because over time I understand that in order to achieve greatness, there has to be some hardship.
“Next morning, I come back home and I watch the fight. Win or lose, it doesn’t matter. You got to right the mistakes right away. Back to the drawing board. There has to be an obstacle, there has to be turmoil,” continued Usman.
“And being able to get over that turmoil, meet it head on, and best that turmoil and that hardship. That’s success for me. And it takes bravery to step inside the cage and reap the fortunes that come with being victorious,” he noted
Usman’s redemption tale has added another interesting element to the competitive welterweight division. The newly-crowned champion Jack Della Maddalena has already been targeted by Islam Makhachev, who will move up to welterweight to challenge him for the title. There’s also the ousted champion, Belal Muhammad, who will be hoping for a rematch.
Elsewhere, there are the second, third, and fourth-ranked fighters to contend with too – Sean Brady, Shavkat Rakhmonov, and of course, Edwards. A fourth Edwards fight seems unlikely for Usman, whereas Rakhmonov is still officially owed a title shot that he declined due to injury.
So, before Usman can start thinking about that welterweight title again, perhaps a Sean Brady bout looks the likely destination. Brady is currently at 18-1, having tapped out Leon Edwards in his last fight.
