Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman hinted that he was dealing with pre-fight injuries before his main event fight at UFC OKC.
Usman went five rounds with former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis in what was an awesome fight between two veterans in the main event of UFC Oklahoma City. In the end, Usman was on the wrong end of a decision, as he lost via UD with 50-45, 49-46, and 49-46 scorecards. But he proved that, at age 39, he can still hang with the best in the world, even though he wasn’t 100% heading into the bout.
Kamaru Usman Hints at Pre-Fight Injuries
Speaking to reporters following UFC Oklahoma City, Usman hinted at having injuries heading into the bout, though he wouldn’t elaborate on what was injured nor use his ailments as an excuse for his loss.
“It’s just me, my ability to do what I want kind of surprised me. Like I said, each and every fight, we’re dealing with something, but you guys never hear of it once, especially with me, because most of the time, I’m coming out here victorious, so you never really hear about what you’re dealing with coming in,” Usman said.
“But when you’re dealing with something and it kind of hinders your ability to do what you want to do or fight the way you know you can fight, it kind of sucks a bit.”
What’s Next for Kamaru Usman?
At age 39 and having lost four of his last five fights, Usman is clearly nearing the end of his career, even though he was somewhat competitive in this fight with du Plessis.
One thing to note is that Usman did look much smaller than his opponent in this bout, so perhaps he should move back to welterweight, where he beat Joaquin Buckley in his last fight at 170 lbs. At the same time, however, his durability looked a lot better at middleweight, as he absorbed many big shots by du Plessis yet never got knocked out.
We’ll see what Usman ultimately decides to do next, but regardless, he’s a legend of the sport for what he’s accomplished.
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