Kamaru Usman, a UFC fighter, has promised a ‘violent’ performance in his trilogy fight with Leon Edwards at UFC 286 on Saturday night, March 18.
Usman had never been knocked out or taken down before Edwards defeated him in Salt Lake City last year.
In the immediate aftermath of last year’s title fight, Usman stated his desire to fight for vengeance as soon as possible, even suggesting that the fight take place in London.
He got his wish, and the biggest pay-per-view card ever held on British soil will be held this Saturday night.
‘He has the belt, by definition, he is the champ,’ Usman said on Wednesday. We know… between him and me. I’m unable to speak.
‘He has the belt, by definition, he is the champ,’ Usman said on Wednesday. We know… between him and me. I can’t speak for everyone. I’ll take it off him on Saturday.
‘He landed a beautiful kick, and I like the recoil. That’s just how I’ve been taught. That’s just how I’m wired. He got a great win, but now it’s time for me to go in and get violent.
‘Because I am the king, he will open the door for me to walk through. The amusing thing is that he is forgetting what happened in the previous fight for 24 minutes. He executed a stunning technique, but you’ve forgotten what happened.
When we get in there, I’m going to throw everything in the kitchen and bathroom at him! I felt aggressive going into three fights. Moraes was one of them because I felt mistreated by matchmaking. We all know what he said after the first Covington fight. We were the best wrestlers in the company, but we didn’t wrestle at all.
‘Masvidal the second time, he made so many excuses that I felt violent in the second fight. I’m starting to get this feeling during this fight, and I want to feel it all.’
Usman acknowledges that there is a difference in pressure and motivation when entering as the challenger after defending the belt for so long, frequently against the same opponent.
‘Motivation changes, when you defend and defend and defend, it can get monotonous,’ he added. Mayweather was almost tedious. People were watching to see if someone could beat him. I have the chance to fall as a champion and then rise again.
‘When you’re no longer the champion, your lifestyle changes dramatically. When you’re the champ, you have an aura of invincibility that everyone wants to be around, and it can start to drain you. It just calmed down after the last fight. I have not been quiet; I have simply been working. I was just enjoying the opportunity to grind.’
