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Nigerian UFC star Kamaru Usman: Net Worth, Profile, Age, Wife, Salary, UFC Achievements, Houses, How Rich is he in 2024?
Kamaru Usman background
Kamaru Usman is a Nigerian-American professional mixed martial artist, former freestyle wrestler, and graduated folkstyle wrestler.
Usman currently competes in the Middleweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the former UFC Welterweight Champion.
Usman is also The Ultimate Fighter 21 tournament winner.
As ofn June 11, 2024, he is no.1 in the UFC welterweight rankings.
Kamaru Usman Profile
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Full name: Kamarudeen Usman
Birth date: May 11, 1987
Nationality: Nigerian-American
Place of Birth: Auchi, Edo State
Age: 37 years old (as of June 2024)
Nickname: The Nigerian Nightmare
Team: Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
Current Division: Middleweight
Height: 6 ft 0 in
Weight: 185 lb (84 kg)
Marital status: Single
Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Muhammed Nasiru Usman.
Net worth: $10 million (est.)
Instagram: @usman84kg
X: @USMAN84kg
How old is Kamaru Usman? (Kamaru Usman Age)
Kamaru Usman is 37 years old as of June 2024.
Kamaru Usman Career: Early years
Kamaru Usman started wrestling in his sophomore year in high school, at Bowie High School in Arlington, Texas.
Usman's got the nickname "Marty", because his wrestling coach at the time had trouble pronouncing his first name Kamarudeen.
After compiling a 53–3 record as a senior and placing third at the Texas state championships, Usman wrestled at the senior national tournament before leaving for college.
In college, Usman wrestled in Iowa at William Penn University for one year, where he was an NAIA national tournament qualifier in 2007, but was unable to attend the tournament due to a snowstorm. However, half of his team and his head coach left early for the tournament without him, which frustrated Usman and influenced him to leave William Penn.
He later transferred to the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK), which previously tried to recruit him under advisement of then-UNK wrestler Tervel Dlagnev, and subsequently helped the Lopers win their first-ever team title in 2008.
Usman placed top three in the nation all three years he attended UNK and was a two-time national finalist.
Kamaru Usman became the NCAA Division II national champion at 174 pounds in 2010, finishing the season with a 44–1 record and 30 straight wins.
Shortly after his folkstyle career was over, Usman turned his attention to freestyle wrestling and became a resident of the United States Olympic Training Center, with hopes of making the 2012 Olympic team.
Despite making the U.S. University World Team in 2010, Usman was sidetracked by injuries and eventually abandoned his Olympic goal after failing to qualify for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, turning his attention to mixed martial arts instead.
How did Kamaru Usman get his nickname?
Former National Football League (NFL) star Christian Okoye, who has the nickname "The Nigerian Nightmare" trademarked, gave his blessing for Usman to use it.
Kamaru Usman MMA Career
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In 2011, Kamaru Usman served as the wrestling coach for Team Miller in The Ultimate Fighter season fourteen.
After failing to qualify for the 2012 US Olympic Team Trials in freestyle wrestling, Usman made his professional MMA debut in November 2012.
He compiled a record of 5–1, competing for several regional promotions before trying out for The Ultimate Fighter in early 2015.
In February 2015, it was announced that Usman was one of the fighters selected to be on The Ultimate Fighter 21.
In his TUF debut and quarterfinal bout of the bracket, Usman faced undefeated eventual Titan FC Welterweight Champion Michael Graves, winning the fight via majority decision.
In the semifinals, Usman faced off against long-time veteran and former WSOF Welterweight Champion Steve Carl, also winning the fight via unanimous decision and advancing to the finals.
In the finals, Usman faced Hayder Hassan on July 12, 2015, at The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale.
He won the bout via submission in the second round, thus winning a six-figure contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
For his victory, Usman was also given the Performance of the Night award.
Kamaru Usman Career: UFC
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In his official debut as a UFC athlete, Usman faced future champion Leon Edwards on December 19, 2015, at UFC on Fox 17.
He defeated Edwards via a unanimous decision.
In his first bout of the following year, Usman faced Alexander Yakovlev on July 23, 2016, at UFC on Fox 20.
He won the one-sided fight via unanimous decision after out-grappling Yakovlev.
Usman faced TUF: Brazil 3 tournament winner Warlley Alves on November 19, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 100, also winning the match by unanimous decision for the third-straight time.
Between 2017 and 2019, Usman won all of his fights in the UFC.
Having gone on a nine-fight winning streak in the UFC, Usman next faced UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley on March 2, 2019, in the co-main event at UFC 235.
Usman won the one-sided fight via unanimous decision after dominating Woodley for five rounds and was crowned the new UFC Welterweight champion..
Usman made his first title defense and faced long-time rival Colby Covington at UFC 245 on December 14, 2019, winning the fight via technical knockout.
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Usman defended his title for the second time in 2020 against Jorge Masvidal, who was a replacement for his initial opponent, and two-time No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu World Champion Gilbert Burns on July 12, 2020 at UFC 251.
Usman won Masvidal via unanimous decision, and the card reportedly generated 1.3 million pay-per-view buys in the United States, the most since UFC 229 in October 2018.
In 2021, Usman defended his title for the third time against, as he won the fight via technical knockout in the third round, surpassing the record of the former UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre for the largest win-streak in the division with thirteen.
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That same year, he successfully defended his Welterweight title, by defeating Jorge Masvidal, and Colby Covington in rematches at UFC 261 and UFC 268 respectively.
However, in 2022, Usman lost his Welterweight championship in a rematch against Leon Edwards on August 20, 2022 at UFC 278.
Usman lost the fight and title via knockout late in the fifth round, making it his first-ever loss inside the UFC.
The following year, a third fight between Usman and Edwards took place on March 18, 2023, at UFC 286 for the UFC Welterweight Championship.
Usman lost the bout via majority decision.
Later in October, Usman stepped in on 10 days notice, replacing an injured Paulo Costa, to face Khamzat Chimaev in a middleweight bout on October 21, 2023, at UFC 294, which also was Usman's middleweight MMA debut.
He lost the fight via majority decision.
Kamaru Usman MMA Career Achievements
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Below is a list of Kamaru Usman’s MMA Career Achievements
Ultimate Fighting Championship
UFC Welterweight Championship (One time)
Five successful title defenses
Third most title fight wins in UFC Welterweight division history
Latest knockout in UFC title fight history vs. Colby Covington
First Nigerian-born UFC champion
The Ultimate Fighter 21 tournament winner
Performance of the Night x4
Fight of the Night x1
Latest finish in UFC Welterweight history
Most consecutive wins in UFC Welterweight history x15
Second most consecutive wins in UFC History x15
Tied (Neil Magny, Georges St-Pierre, Frankie Edgar, Belal Muhammad, Brad Tavares & Robert Whittaker) for second most unanimous decision wins in UFC history (10)
Tied (Georges St-Pierre, Neil Magny & Belal Muhammad) for most unanimous decision wins in UFC Welterweight division history x10
Tied (Leon Edwards) for fourth most decision wins in UFC Welterweight division history x10
Tied (Matt Hughes & Thiago Alves) for fourth most wins in UFC Welterweight division history x15
Second most significant strikes landed in UFC Welterweight division history (1334)
Third most total strikes landed in UFC Welterweight division history (2369)
Second longest average fight time in UFC Welterweight division history (17:35)
Second longest control time in UFC Welterweight division history (2:13:51)
Fifth most control time in UFC history (2:13:51)
Tied (Neil Magny) for fourth most takedowns landed in UFC Welterweight division history x59
Highest takedown defense percentage in UFC Welterweight division history (97.3%)
2021 Fighter of the Year
UFC.com & Honors 2021 Knockout of the Year
MMAJunkie.com Awards
2019 December Fight of the Month
2021 February Fight of the Month
2021 April Knockout of the Month
World MMA Awards
2021 The Charles 'Mask' Lewis Fighter of the Year
MMA Fighting Awards
2021 Fighter of the Year
2021 Knockout of the Year
ESPN Awards
2021 Male Fighter of the Year
MMA Mania Awards
2021 Knockout of the Year
Bleacher Report Awards
2021 Fighter of the Year
Yahoo! Sports Awards
2021 Fighter of the Year
Cageside Press Awards
2021 Fighter of the Year
Lowkick MMA Awards
2021 Fighter of the Year
CBS Sports Awards
2021 Fighter of the Year
Combat Press Awards
2021 Male Fighter of the Year
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards
Mixed Martial Arts Most Valuable (2021)
Most Outstanding Fighter of the Year (2021)
BT Sport Awards
2021 Male Fighter of the Year
What is Kamaru Usman's Net Worth? (Kamaru Usman Net Worth)
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As of June 2024, Kamaru Usman is estimated to have a net worth of $10 million , as per MMA Salaries.
The former UFC champion made his fortune through his promotional contract, sponsorships, and brand endorsements.
As of 2024, Kamaru Usman has reportedly totalled over $12 million from his MMA recorded fight earnings.
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Compared to other fighters, Kamaru Usman‘s base salary, as of March 2023, was estimated to be around $600,000 per fight.
His biggest payday came against Colby Covington at UFC 268, after he was reportedly paid $1 million to show up and reportedly took home an estimated $1,892,000 (inclusive of bonuses and PPV revenue).
Outside the UFC, Kamaru Usman penned an endorsement deal with meal delivery service Trifecta, having previously signed a lucrative deal with Reebok.
Kamaru Usman Cars
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Kamaru Usman loves to spend his money on exotic automobiles.
As of 2024, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' is said to own a Lamborghini Urus worth over $200,000.
He is also said to have lavished over $400,000 on aRolls Royce Ghost.
Kamaru Usman Personal life
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Usman was born in Auchi, Edo state of Nigeria.
His father was a major in the Nigerian Army and his mother was a teacher.
He has two brothers, Kashetu and Mohammed, the latter of whom is also a mixed martial artist and fellow The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) winner.
Usman had a modest upbringing during his childhood.
Usman's father Muhammed Nasiru Usman, who became a pharmacist in the United States, brought his family into the country when Usman was eight years old, immigrating to Dallas, Texas.
Kamaru Usman has one daughter together, Samirah Usman, with his ex-partner Eleslie Dietzsch.
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Samirah who was born in 2014 and is currently around 8 years old.
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Usman has consistently shown his love for his daughter on social media.
Who is Kamaru Usman’s Wife? (Kamaru Usman wife)
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Kamaru Usman is not married.
However, he was in a long-term relationship with Eleslie Dietzsch for several years.
According to PlayersGF, Dietzsch was born on November 22, 1986, and is of Brazilian and Portuguese descent.
Information concerning her family or educational background is not known.
Despite being silent about his relationship with ex, Eleslie Dietzsch, Kamaru Usman previously opened up publicly to announce that he is single.
In 2023, he appeared on comedian Andrew Schulz’s podcast and announced that he is no longer in a relationship and recently got single.
The former UFC champion said:
“Yeah, I was in a relationship until earlier this year…” He continued by confirming his relationship status further, “Yeah I’m single but I’m not really like- don’t get me wrong, we all like girls. But I’m like- I like love.”
Despite her privacy, Dietzsch is active on Instagram, where she has over one thousand followers. She regularly posts moments from her personal life, primarily with her daughter, whom she shares with Kamaru Usman.
Kamaru Usman Social Media
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Kamaru Usman is on social media, and is one of the most active UFC stars on the paltform
On Instagram, he has gained over 3.7 million followers on his verified page.
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On X, he boasts more than 1 million followers.
And on his verified Facebook account, he also boasts more than 1 million followers on the platform.
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