UFC welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman, spoke to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto and dived right into his performance at UFC 258. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ defended his strap against his former teammate Gilbert Burns in one of his most impressive displays yet. Usman finished off Burns via third-round TKO and racked up his fourth straight win in a title fight.

What made Usman’s performance impressive was the fact that he effectively dealt with adversity. Gilbert Burns rocked Usman early in the first round, but that champion showed his mettle and bounced back. As the fight played out, he continued to solidify his stance and ensured he had his grittiest display yet.

Khabib Nurmagomedov Reveals Why He Does Not Want to Fight Georges St-Pierre at Welterweight

Kamaru Usman critiques his UFC 258 performance

True to form, Usman wanted to remain perfectly dominant under the bright lights. However, that’s not always feasible. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ explained that his hand position wasn’t where it needed to be in order to properly defend himself. This was something that could have potentially cost him dearly in the contest.

“Me shifting angles. My hands were kinda out and not up as much as I thought they were up. That was a big mistake on my part. My vision was very good. I saw the shot, I see every shot, which is great. That’s something we worked on with Trevor. Me definitely keeping my hands up which I do a decent job of wasn’t well enough, so that’s something I have to correct I can’t make those mistakes anymore.”

Trending

“Bubble Gut From High HGH Abuse” – Joe Rogan’s Dire Health Concern Flares Up as Fans Worry About UFC Commentator

April 16, 2024 05:03 AM EDT

“He Cannot Push Me” – Islam Makhachev Exposed 6-Time Wrestling Champ Jordan Burroughs in Front of Daniel Cormier Last Year

April 22, 2024 09:38 AM EDT

Violently Threatening Conor McGregor Takes a Bad Turn for 50 Cent as UFC World Condemn Rapper After Old Beef Resurfaces

April 23, 2024 01:53 PM EDT

“I’ll Always Be Your Girl” – Promise to Dana White Forced Ronda Rousey to Fight Despite a Concussion and Knee Injury

April 24, 2024 10:08 AM EDT

Alex Pereira’s Offical Status for Tom Aspinall Confirmed by UFC 300 Star’s Team

April 18, 2024 09:18 AM EDT

Get instantly notified of the hottest UFC stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

‘The Nigerian Nightmare’- Championship breakdown

Kamaru Usman doubled down on his defensive vulnerabilities against Gilbert Burns and shared that it bothered him. ‘Durinho’ is the type of fighter to chase the finish once he senses his opponent is hurt and this could have been a long night for Usman.

“Like I said, one thing I did a bad job of is my hands weren’t up to where they should be. To where I can just absorb the hit and block the shot, but it snuck through. It bothered me that I got hit with that cause you’re like ‘Oh, you got dropped’ but you really didn’t get dropped. But that just goes to attest the work that Gilbert has put it and the talent that he has.”

Despite his vulnerabilities, Kamaru Usman left the Apex Facility as the undisputed champion with another title defense. Moreover, he’s officially not been dropped or taken down in his entire UFC run. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ has solidified the bar he’s set for future welterweight champions with his recent win.