Kamaru Usman candidly shared his thoughts on his brother Mohammed's recent UFC defeat, expressing that he could have performed significantly better.
"The Motor" suffered his second consecutive defeat in the Octagon this past Saturday, falling to Thomas Petersen during the preliminary portion of the UFC Fight Night event at the Apex in Las Vegas.
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The fight began with both men cautiously gauging distance. Midway through the round, Petersen connected with a solid left hand, pressed forward, landed a knee, and finished the round strong with a front headlock and more strikes.
In the second round, Usman resumed jabbing but was quickly countered by his opponent, who landed a potent left hand and secured a takedown. Usman managed a technical standup but looked fatigued.
In the third and final round, "The Train" landed another heavy strike and consistently countered his opponent's single shots. With a minute left, Petersen dominated, finishing with a crucial takedown and ground-and-pound. Petersen defeated Usman by unanimous decision, with all judges scoring the contest 30-27.
Mohammed's elder brother appears disheartened by the setback, but "The Nigerian Nightmare" believes there's ample scope for refinement and an opportunity for a powerful comeback...
Kamaru Sees Growth Potential In Mohammed's Game Plan Misstep
During a recent episode of the Pound 4 Pound podcast with Henry Cejudo, Usman weighed in on his younger brother's loss to Petersen. "The Nigerian Nightmare" critiqued Mohammed's performance, pointing out that he deviated from his game plan and made several tactical errors, ultimately costing him the bout.
You know, disappointing loss for him," Usman said. "But I think this was one of those crossroads fights that lets you know, is this what you want to do or is this not what you want to do? I think he's right now, sitting at home, reflecting on all the work that he put in. Did you go out there and fight to your abilities? You did not. You didn't go out there, you didn't execute the game plan, you didn't execute what you're capable of doing.
The former UFC welterweight champion added that "The Motor" must reevaluate his mistakes and work on them to improve himself for a stronger return.
I know that's something that's very, very tough for him to deal with, but he's sitting in it. He has to deal with it, he has to understand it, and it's something that's potentially going to make him much, much stronger. Like I say, it's tough to enjoy the great times and winning when you don't know what losing feels like. So, I think he's feeling it right now, and I think he's going to go back, reassess, recompose himself, and go back to it.
The younger Usman currently boasts an Octagon record of 3-2, having made a striking entrance into the UFC with a second-round knockout victory over Zac Pauga in The Ultimate Fighter 30 Finale in August 2022.
While Mohammed shows promise as a fighter, he has yet to reach the same level of success that his brother achieved in his storied career.