Former welterweight champion and top pound-for-pound fighter Kamaru Usman captured UFC gold at 32 years of age. It is the prime for many athletes, but for a longtime competitor like “The Nigerian Nightmare” who’s been at it since his high wrestling school days, you can say he is older in fighting years.
The 35-year-old Usman lost the title to Leon Edwards at UFC 278, which also marked his first defeat in nine years. And while he still has a chance to reclaim the belt, his close teammate Justin Gaethje doesn’t see him in competition for too long.
“He’s the best in the world and again, we both understand it’s not the beginning,” Gaethje told Drake Riggs for MMA Mania.