Kamaru Usman last fought in the UFC in October 2023 against Khamzat Chimaev. "Borz" absolutely dominated the first, as he had Usman's back for the most part and was either landing unanswered shots or trying for submissions.
The former UFC welterweight champion bounced back in the second and third rounds, though. He won several striking exchanges and didn't allow his opponent to do anything effective with takedowns.
As fans around the world eagerly wait for his return, Usman revealed his learnings from his last fight and why it wasn't a five-rounder...
Kamaru Usman Missed The Opportunity To Make Khamzat Chimaev Fight A Five-Rounder Due To Lack Of Confidence
Usman discussed his last loss to Chimaev on the Weighing In podcast, hosted by John McCarthy and Josh Thomson. Right away, "Nigerian Nightmare" remembered that he had lost a close decision to Leon Edwards six months earlier and was stepping in to fight on 10 days' notice.
That was the issue. And that's why Trevor, my coach Trevor Wittman tells me all the time that I'm one of the best, if not the best, at building in a fight and for the first time in a long time, I didn't trust myself and my abilities because that fight, it could've been a five-rounder.
Even though he had fought in 10 consecutive five-round UFC fights at this point, Usman avoided asking the promotion to make the Chimaev fight a five-rounder too. This was primarily because he didn't trust his ability to withstand a 25-minute bout without a proper camp.
However, Usman admitted to not being satisfied with the decision loss to Chimaev. This was an eye-opening moment for him, as he made sure to trust himself again. He also looked back at his coach Trevor Wittman's remarks who proudly claims Usman to be one of the best in getting better in fights over time.
I wasn't training as I would be if I had a fight and I went through a camp and so, with that being said that, I didn't trust myself in that sense. So then you get in a fight and I realize I haven't fought a three-round fight in, I don't remember last time I fought a three-round fight. So, I've built myself up to get in a position to where you can build over the course of five rounds. And so now that it's not that, it was very very difficult for me to be okay with that result.
From the looks of it, Usman has had enough time to rejuvenate physically and mentally after losing the UFC welterweight championship. In his return, he might fight for the title again or aim to avenge his loss to Chimaev in a five-rounder.