Case closed. Kamaru Usman locks in “Pound-for-Pound king” status

Prior to tonight’s event, a debate was circulating in the Mixed Martial arts world on who’s the most deserving man to be called the greatest welterweight of all time. And while the majority were still chanting the name of GSP, and rightfully so. However, I think It’s safe to say, after tonight’s jawbreaking act in the main event, literally & figuratively, Kamaru Usman locks in his claim for all-time welterweight supremacy.

What can you say about “The Nigerian Nightmare,” from shedding sweat and tears on the wrestling mats at an early age into shedding the sweat of “Gamebred” with a darting right hand, flipping the entire Mixed Martial Arts world on its head in one of the most glorious championship performances in the history of combat sports.

Coming into tonight’s showdown, the champion was getting tied to the word “lacklustre,” undeservingly due to the way his first fight with Masvidal played out. But one thing that was left out of the narrative was that Usman took the fight on short notice too. Moreover, not only was he preparing for a stocky grappler who was highly familiar with the champ, but also stepping into the octagon with a broken nose. and to make things worse, the time wasn’t enough for the mindset to analyze the situation.

And still, With all these things piling up against Usman, he was still able to dominate every single second of the fight. And although it might not have been his most exciting performance, the appreciation for the champ to step up, being the ultimate company man he is, no credit was given. So, he simply took it with a jawbreaking performance.

Whatever you desire from a champion, “The Nigerian Nightmare” got it.
Early on, for those who complained about him not being exciting, here are 3 knockouts and 6 knockdowns in his last 4 fights. And not just that, his fight against Colby Covington was, in my opinion, the most incredible fight I’ve ever seen. All-time great wars, highlight-reel knockouts, and most rounds in his career are as close as it gets to a 10-7 round.

Aside from his legendary run so far, the champ’s performance tonight wasn’t ordinary, far from it, and there’s a reason for that. Tonight highlighted the first time in Usman’s career that he had his hero watching him first row, Muhammed Usman.

While it’s well documents that the champ and his family spent many sleepless nights thinking about his father and the injustice he had to endure for over a decade. Tonight erased all the tough nights for the father and his beloved family. Watching his son in a setting where the theme at the end of the event was all about his son being called the best ever.

Just when things couldn’t look more heartwarming, Usman put the 12lbs of gold around his father’s waist, rightfully so, being a world champion in life.

Before we start talking about what’s next, let’s just appreciate this moment while we can. Tomorrow’s not promised, but one thing is, and it’s that Kamaru Usman is the undisputed king of the welterweights, and simply, the best in the world.

Written by: Tarek Alsabbagh, Lightkeeper Promotions