Reigning UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman proved that he’s a problem for his division very early on in his career.
Representing his former gym The Blackzilians on Season 21 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Usman defeated American Top Team’s Michael Graves and Steve Carl and was selected to represent his team in the finals.
At the TUF 21 Finale in 2015, Usman faced hard-hitting Hayder Hassan in his UFC debut and, once again, his opponent had no answer to his wrestling.
Usman was able to avoid Hassan’s power early, winning the clinch positions and dragging him down to the mat repeatedly through Round 1. In Round 2, he was able to take a lunging Hassan down again, eventually transitioning into full mount and securing an arm-triangle choke to win the season for his team.
Usman (17-1 MMA, 12-0 UFC) returns Saturday when he takes on Gilbert Burns in the main event of UFC 258, which takes place Feb. 13 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event streams on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.
Ahead of his return to action, check out Usman’s dominant debut win over Hassan in the video above.
UFC free fight: Kamaru Usman submits Hayder Hassan to win ‘The Ultimate Fighter’
