Khamzat Chimaev‘s aura of invincibility didn’t quite live up to Kamaru Usman‘s expectations.
Usman, stepping in on short notice of less than 10 days, faced Chimaev in a middleweight clash at UFC 294 last October. Despite a challenging first round, Usman staged a comeback effort, yet ultimately came up short, losing via majority decision.
Reflecting on his encounter with the undefeated Chimaev, former welterweight champion Usman noted that a stronger sense of self-belief might have tilted the fight in his favor.
During his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Henry Cejudo, Usman shared:
“You get in those type of fights and those positions to where you build something up in your mind and in your head.