A Nigerian became the first African to win an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) title, on Saturday, March 2, 2019.
Kamaru Usman beat Tyron Woodley in a very thrilling Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) bout to claim the 170-pound welterweight title at the UFC 235.
Fight
Woodley (19-4-1), who came into the fight with the highest takedown defense percentage at over 97 percent, and four successful title defenses, was the favorite to take the win and extend his reign atop the welterweight division.
However, the champ was about to face a whole new challenge he was unequipped to handle, the Nigerian Nightmare, Usman.
The Nigerian was clear on what he wanted from his very first assault on Woodley — the welterweight title.
Usman (15-1) made sure Woodley had no room to gather his thoughts together as the Nigerian thumped the former champ restively, controlling the bout from start to finish to extend unbeaten record to 10-straight wins in the UFC.
Usman utilized his quick dismantling bursts of body shots and short elbows to keep Woodley in line throughout the bout.
In Round 2, the former champ tried to usurp control of the fight with shabby right hand shots. However, it was not enough to weigh the Nigerian down, as a shot-elbow to the face after a brief scuffle cut Woodley’s right eye late in Round 2.
Usman kept dominating the bout, until the fourth round, when Woodley put up a good fight, although not enough to hold back the Nigerian Nightmare.
In Round 5, Usman ended the fight with a vicious takedown, to finish the bout as the new UFC champion in the welterweight division.
In the post-fight press conference Usman greeted the journalists in Arabic before switching to pidgin English, telling Nigerians that he promised them he would deliver, and that he has.
“Nigeria, I have told them, we would do it, I told them we never fail. And we have done it today.”
Featured image source: BBC