Where Is Kamaru Usman From? Ethnicity, Religion, Background & More

Kamaru Usman is ready to forge his route back to the top of the welterweight division as he returns to the Octagon this weekend. It’s been more than a year and a half since we saw him in action, and after many years, the former champion is headlining a Fight Night event. Usman will butt heads in Atlanta against Joaquin Buckley, at UFC on ESPN 69, and the 38-year-old veteran would hope to end his 3-fight losing skid.

Meanwhile, we know Kamaru Usman, the fighter, but not many fans would know about him as an individual. He is perhaps one of the best 170 lbs fighters in UFC history, but he also comes from a very normal upbringing. Here’s everything you need to know about the fighter’s background.

Where is Kamaru Usman from?

Kamaru Usman may currently fight, representing the United States of America, but he originally comes from the continent of Africa. To be precise, the welterweight veteran, just like former 2-time middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, is from the country of Nigeria. His roots are evident in his moniker, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’. But when it comes to Usman’s ethnicity, it’s a bit tricky to point out.

The former UFC champion has never spoken about his ethnicity, although he proudly mentions having Nigerian roots. But if we take a look at the place where he was born, the city of Auchi, it is predominantly inhabited by people who belong to the Etsako community. Also, Usman’s community is a part of a larger ethnic group known as the Afenmai. So, yeah, we can’t be too sure of this aspect of his personal details.

Well, that’s one part of his roots established, but there’s one more thing that fans would want to know about the welterweight star. So, let’s move over to find out about the religion that Kamaru Usman associates himself with. And guess what? He’s got a mixed family!

What religion does Usman believe in?

Kamaru Usman was born into a family that was split between two religions. His mother was Christian, and his father was a Muslim. Usman decided to choose his father’s faith and became a devout Muslim. Many fans can see his social media posts, where’s uses terms like “Insahallah” and “Alhmadilulah,” signifying his allegiance to the teachings of the Quran.

Kamaru Usman is living the life now, and his upbringing wasn’t exactly very grand. Usman has his roots firmly in the art of wrestling. He has been a freestyle and a folk-style wrestler before. Growing up living a modest life, the former UFC champion only found wrestling, as he entered high school, to be his sport of choice. Let’s take a deeper look at his life growing up.

More about Kamaru Usman’s early life and background

The 38-year-old was born to a major in the Nigerian army and a teacher. He and his family immigrated to Dallas, Texas, where his father became a pharmacist. Usman was just 8 years old at that time. He has two brothers, one of whom is Mohammed Usman, who also happens to be a UFC fighter. The siblings are the first two brothers to win UFC contracts by winning TUF finales. Meanwhile, years after Kamaru started training in wrestling, in 2012, injuries and the process of recovery would eliminate Kamaru Usman from his dreams of becoming an Olympic medalist in his sport of choice.

That prompted him to set his eyes on the UFC and, to his good luck, Christian Okoye, an NFL star, allowed him to use his moniker ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’. He made his grand UFC debut at The Ultimate Fighter 21. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ had already secured a great record of 5-1 by then. He managed to defeat two great fighters in the semi-finals and then the finals to win a six-figure contract with the organization. And the rest is history. During his bouts in the UFC, though, his father had to suffer through jail time.

He was convicted of several frauds and was only recently released in 2021. Usman maintained that his father was innocent, but his pleas didn’t find favor with the courts. The two are on good terms, and the truth is, Usman hoped his father would get to see him fight more. Now, his father truly can with his upcoming fight against Joaquin Buckley. Who are you betting your buck on? Let us know in the comments down below.