Kamaru Usman climbed the Ultimate Fighting Championship ladder rung by painstaking rung, knowing all the while that one slip could unravel everything.
The 32-year-old Auchi, Nigeria, native first set foot inside the Octagon in 2015, “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series serving as his conduit. Usman proceeded to rattle off nine consecutive victories—all by knockout, submission or unanimous decision—before sinking his hooks into the undisputed welterweight championship. Now on a 15-fight winning streak, the Henri Hooft disciple has staked his claim as one of the sport’s pound-for-pound best, even as Jorge Masvidal and other would-be successors nip at his heels.