"I even duck punches in my sleep" - Kamaru Usman reveals how his obsession with competing helps him familiarize himself with his opponents
Kamaru Usman has already established himself as one of the greatest mixed martial artists ever. The welterweight champion is on a 19-fight win-streak in MMA, and his last (and only) loss came in his second professional fight over nine years ago. Usman is undefeated in the UFC and is currently the promotions pound-for-pound king.
Usman will take on Leon Edwards at UFC 278 on August 21 and will be looking to defend his welterweight belt for the sixth time. He recently sat down with ESPN MMA, where he touched on his competitive nature, stating (starting at the 12:15 mark):
"The way I obssessed over it, obsessed over the techniques, how they throw this, how they throw that, what he's good at, how he throws his kicks, his body kicks. It's like I just obsess over and over and over to the point where I almost see them in my head when I go to sleep." [sic]
Kamaru Usman, who likened his competitive spirit to Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, continued to elaborate:
"I almost see [my opponents], and my girlfriend will tell you this: I even twitch [and] duck punches in my sleep and move. It's just, I obsess so much over it, so by the time I get in there, it's just, 'I know this guy.'"
Usman's competitive nature shows why he has been able to remain so dominant for such a long time.
Watch Kamaru Usman's full appearance on ESPN MMA below:
Where does Kamaru Usman rank amongst the UFC GOATs?
Kamaru Usman's legacy continues to grow with every fight. While he didn't make UFC President Dana White's top five, he was still brought up as someone who should be on the list.
If Usman is able to defeat Leon Edwards at UFC 278, he will tie Anderson Silva for the longest win-streak in UFC history. While he may not have made White's top five list, White did reveal that the Nigerian could overtake Jon Jones as the GOAT.
"Kamaru Usman is just one fight away from tying Anderson Silva' - Dana White https://t.co/twQieUfDlT
His dominance in the welterweight division has, in the eyes of many, placed him among the top ten fighters in UFC history, with some arguing he should slot into the top five. Following his last title defense, where he defeated Colby Covington for the second time, White stated that Usman is the greatest welterweight ever.
Has Kamaru Usman done enough to overtake GSP as the Welterweight GOAT? https://t.co/oQasSxsMNp
'The Nigerian Nightmare,' who has only ever been taken down once in the octagon (by Covington), will continue to rise in the GOAT rankings with every victory. His legacy is already secured as one of the greatest fighters of all-time, s from here on out, he is looking to cement his place on the UFC Mt. Rushmore.
Fans can also check out the video below on various martial arts styles: