Nigerian-American mixed martial artist Kamaru Usman made history on Saturday night by becoming the first African champion in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) after defeating title holder Tyron Woodley, at a flagship event in Las Vegas.
Fighting in the welterweight category, Usman, 31, defeated Woodley via a unanimous decision with scores of 50-44, 50-44, and 50-45 on the judges’ scorecard, to become the new champion.
Woodley had been the UFC’s 170-pound champ since July 2016 and defended the belt four times before losing to the Nigerian fighter.
Speaking on his history-making win, Usman said: “Can’t nobody handle me?.
“I’ve been wanting this fight, and I’ll be honest, I might not be the best striker in the world. I might not be the best wrestler in the world.
“But when it comes to mixing this stuff up, I’m the best in the world right now.”
Born in Auchi, in the midwestern Edo state of Nigeria, Usman moved to the United States when he was seven and found passion in wrestling in high school.
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