Violent means—strength, technique and supreme self-confidence chief among them—brought Kamaru Usman to power in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s welterweight division.
The Hard Knocks 365 representative entered the UFC as “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 21 winner in 2015, recorded nine consecutive victories and cashed in on the opportunity to become the undisputed welterweight champion. Usman, 32, now finds himself on a 15-fight winning streak and universally accepted as one of the sport’s pound-for-pound best. His scorched-earth tear through the 170-pound weight class has seen him defeat seven opponents by knockout, technical knockout or submission and eight more by unanimous decision.