Kamaru Usman reflects on the challenges and pressures of being a top MMA fighter, criticizing fans for being disrespectful when athletes’ performances decline due to accumulated injuries and responsibilities.
Kamaru Usman doesn’t get why MMA fans behave the way they do sometimes.
The former UFC welterweight champ is gearing up for a comeback. It’s his first return since losing a close fight to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 in October. Usman and the new 170-pound champ, Belal Muhammad, have been trading jabs on social media since UFC 304 in July.
Usman’s on a three-fight losing streak but had an impressive run before that. He compares himself to other dominant ex-champions.
“I didn’t care what I was going through,” Usman said on Weighing In. “Whether it was physical, mental, or emotional struggles, it didn’t matter. I just jumped in there and performed, over and over again. Same with Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski.”
“We push ourselves to entertain the masses. Sure, we get paid well, but injuries pile up. Over time, they start affecting performance. Then people forget how good you were and say things like, ‘Oh, he’s washed.’ How disrespectful are MMA fans?”
“‘He’s washed, he can’t do this anymore,’ they said the same about Jon Jones before he fought Ciryl Gane.”
Before losing to Chimaev, Usman lost two title fights to Leon Edwards. A shocking head kick knockout at UFC 278 in August 2022 cost him the title.
Despite his success, Usman feels immense pressure to please fans. He envies younger fighters who are just starting out.
“I tell them, ‘This is the fun time,’” Usman said. “You have so much time to learn. Everyone sees the glitz and glamour and thinks that’s what they want.”
“But guess what? Once you’re champion, it changes. You fly to New York for press conferences, lose days of training while others are grinding in the gym. It catches up to you. Suddenly, it’s not fun anymore because now you’ve got real problems.”