Kamaru Usman returns this weekend at UFC 261 as he defends his welterweight title against Jorge Masvidal. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ will have another fellow African UFC champion along his side in support. He is none other than the newly crowned UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.

Ngannou and Usman are part of 3 African champions in the UFC alongside middleweight kingpin, Israel Adesanya. Usman was present last month in Ngannou’s corner as ‘The Predator’ fought Stipe Miocic. Now, the Cameroonian will do his part by helping Usman. The duo shares a very close bonding and refers to the other as “brother.”

“I call him my brother from another mother. Because even though he is not my brother, we are still like brothers, you know. So, that’s something very unique. Something that doesn’t happen many times, basically in the sport,” said Ngannou, shedding light on his relationship with Usman.

Ngannou will be returning the favor to Usman this weekend. It will be interesting to see if Usman can be triumphant too. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare‘ knows a thing or two about his opponent Masvidal as the duo fought at UFC 251 in 2020. What important adjustment Ngannou can help Usman out with, remains to be seen.

Can Kamaru Usman close the rivalry with Jorge Masvidal?

Usman, despite having a previous win over ‘Gamebred‘, wasn’t too satisfied with his previous performance as he believed he didn’t his full arsenal of skills on display last time. He is determined to break Masvidal’s will this time around and showcase his ability as a well-rounded mixed martial artist.

But Masvidal is no pushover. ‘Gamebred’ is determined to finally become a UFC champion and level the score with Usman in the process. He has already promised a violent fight to the fans. However, he has to fight a perfect fight if he is to dethrone a dominant champion like Usman. Which fighter is able to impose their skill sets the most, remains to be seen.

Also Read: Jorge Masvidal’s Career Before His Move Up to Welterweight