Kamaru Usman

Overview

Fifteen straight UFC wins, and Kamaru Usman stacked up elite opposition along the way. Eight of that run's last nine victims came from the group our model rates as elite, and the four losses that followed it all came against elite opposition too.

He is a Welterweight out of Auchi, Nigeria, training with the Blackzilians, and his UFC record stands at 16-4. He is not a champion in our data. He carries a one-fight losing streak.

Sixteen wins, but only five finishes. Most of his fights end on the scorecards.

UFC Career

Usman debuted in July 2015 at The Ultimate Fighter: American Top Team vs. Blackzilians Finale, submitting Hayder Hassan in the second round at 1:19. That is his only UFC submission win. His first run was a string of decisions: Leon Edwards, Alexander Yakovlev, Warlley Alves and Sean Strickland, all unanimous. Then Sergio Moraes fell by TKO in round one, 2:48 in, his only first-round finish in the UFC.

The step up came in 2018. He outpointed Demian Maia over five rounds in his first main event, then took unanimous decisions over Rafael Dos Anjos and Tyron Woodley, both five-rounders against elite opponents.

The streak peaked from late 2019 into 2021. Colby Covington was stopped in round five at 4:10. Jorge Masvidal went the distance in July 2020, then lost by TKO in round two at 1:02 in the rematch. Gilbert Burns was finished in round three at 0:34. A second win over Covington, by decision, made it fifteen in a row.

Then it turned. Edwards stopped him in round five at 4:04 in August 2022, and took a majority decision in the rematch. Khamzat Chimaev beat him by majority decision in October 2023. A unanimous decision over Joaquin Buckley in June 2025 broke the skid, and Dricus Du Plessis beat him by unanimous decision over five rounds in July 2026.

Eleven of his twenty UFC fights went five rounds or ended in round five. Only one of his four losses came by stoppage, but the elite names have found ways to win.

Fighting Style

Usman is a wrestler first. He takes opponents down far more often than most fighters and is very hard to take down himself. He rarely hunts for submissions, so his grappling is built around control rather than finishes.

He is more than a wrestler who holds on, though. He lands more on the feet than most, with good accuracy, and he gets hit less than most. His striking defense is about what you'd expect from the UFC average.

Four of his five finishes came by KO/TKO, spread across rounds one, two, three and five. His other finish was a second-round submission. Eleven of his sixteen wins went to the scorecards.

Notable Wins

• Colby Covington — KO/TKO, round 5, UFC 245 (2019)
• Gilbert Burns — KO/TKO, round 3, UFC 258 (2021)
• Jorge Masvidal — KO/TKO, round 2, UFC 261 (2021)
• Tyron Woodley — unanimous decision, round 5, UFC 235 (2019)

Quick Facts

• Division: Welterweight
• UFC record: 16-4
• Professional record (all promotions): 21-5-0
• UFC debut: 2015
• Stance: Switch
• Height / reach: 6'0" / 76"
• Team: Blackzilians (Boca Raton, FL)
• Born: Auchi, Nigeria