Kamaru Usman reveals what Francis Ngannou has to do to beat Stipe Miocic at UFC 260
Kamara Usman will be in Francis Ngannou's corner during the latter's heavyweight bout against Stipe Miocic at UFC 260. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' believes Ngannou possesses what it takes to beat Miocic and emerge as the new heavyweight champion on Saturday night.
Usman recently defended his welterweight championship for the third time against Gilbert Burns. The 32-year-old is set to challenge Jorge Masvidal in a rematch at UFC 261, which is scheduled to take place on April 24th.
In his recent interview with ESPN's Brett Okamoto, Usman explained what Francis Ngannou needs to do to beat Miocic at UFC 260. According to the welterweight champion, it is important for the 'The Predator' to stay relaxed during his title clash opposite Miocic.
"I think he has to be relaxed because we put too much pressure on ourselves. We understand what us being a champion does to where we are from. We understand that, and that's a ton of pressure to put on yourself, and I think he just needs to relax," said Usman.
"I mean we are looking at one of the scariest men on the planet to this date, so if he's able to relax, I think he will shock a lot of people with all these newly acquired skills," added Usman.
Kamaru Usman on cornering Francis Ngannou
Kamaru Usman believes Francis Ngannou understands the importance of having the Nigerian in his corner. Usman said they both get along well, and there is a sense of "good energy" when they are around each other.
"For him, having me in his corner, I think it's one of those things cause I'm where we all want to be. We are all chasing after this goal: to have the gold. I know what it's doing for the rest of the kids that come from circumstances that we come from. And Francis is right there at that door. And it's good energy, good vibes every time we're around each other," said Usman.
Francis Ngannou previously fought Stipe Miocic at UFC 220 in 2018, which resulted in a lopsided victory for the heavyweight champion. Since then, The Predator has worked his way up the division and secured four consecutive victories to earn another crack at the UFC heavyweight championship.