Nigerian nightmare, Usman knocks out Burns in 3 round to retain UFC belt

Kamaru Usman, the Nigerian nightmare showed he is levels above UFC welterweight division with a commanding third-round TKO of Gilbert Burns.

Usman Kamaru and Gilbert Burns in action

Usman Kamaru cemented his status as the best 170-pound fighter on the planet, making the third successful defence of his title in the UFC 258 main event at the promotion’s Apex facility in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

The 33-year-old has now broke the record of former two-division champ Georges St-Pierre (26-2) as the holder of the longest welterweight win streak (13) in UFC history, with a 17-fight overall streak.

The Nigerian nightmare, Usman Kamaru

“Put some respect on my name,” Usman – ranked No 5 in the UFC’s pound-for-pound list – screamed into the cameras, and it is harder to think of a more unheralded fighter in the world. He is surely starting to enter the “GOAT” (greatest of all time) conversation.

Usman Kamaru defended his title against a 34-year-old Brazilian teammate, Gilbert Burns who had torn through the division since moving up from lightweight. But that had caused inevitable tension at their Sanford MMA gym in Florida, and it was Usman who chose to leave for Colorado and Team Elevation under the guidance of Trevor Wittman for this fight.

“This one was a tough one, a very, very tough one, because the whole gym situation, me leaving … and first and foremost guys, you cannot discredit what Gilbert has done in this division,” Usman told Joe Rogan backstage after the fight.

“After being KO’d at lightweight, he regrouped, put it all together, moved up and started tearing through guys. We started this journey together, and he showed it tonight, Usman said.

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