Kamaru Usman
"The Nigerian Nightmare"
Cuts the cage, changes levels, drowns opponents in control time.
How much we trust this read
Confidence rates the analysis, not the fighter. The Blueprint Score rates the fighter. Sparse data lowers confidence — it never gets hidden.
Fight Plan: Kamaru Usman
A coach-ready game plan — historical weaknesses opponents have exploited and what to drill in camp.
- Shows vulnerability to high-level head kicks when exiting exchanges
- Known history of chronic knee issues impacting lateral mobility
- Can be out-volumed by elite strikers if unable to secure the clinch
- Drill takedown defense and wall scrambles
- Constant lateral movement to break their rhythm
- Stack southpaw sparring partners in camp
- Underhook battles and posture work off the bottom
Sub-Score Breakdown
Loading sub-scores…
What Changed?
Recent intelligence updates from the Blueprint engine — confidence shifts, new tactical observations, and patterns detected.
Loading change log…
Tactical Patterns
Repeatable trigger → action → result sequences detected by the engine. Low-confidence patterns are labeled, not hidden.
Loading patterns…
Tactical Memory
Persistent observations the engine has accumulated. New observations merge with existing memory instead of overwriting it.
Loading memory…
Fighter fingerprint
MMA attribute profile — only skills that matter in this sport are scored, and any axis we cannot evidence is left blank rather than scored as zero.
Wrestling and Cardio are the highest scored axes; expect the game plan to lean on this.
- Striking88
- Wrestling98
- Grappling92
- Cardio95
- Fight IQ94
- Distance Control87
Strategic breakdown
Style fingerprint derived from the attribute ratings and finish rates on file. Each row is labelled with how Fight Blueprint reached it — none of these are measured from footage.
Fight Timeline
How Kamaru Usman has evolved year-by-year — milestones, camp changes, style shifts, and notable results.
Loading timeline…
Observations & evidence
Every observation expands into the evidence behind it. Tap a row to see why this read was made.
Video Evidence Ledger
Timestamped tactical observations that back the analysis. Each item cites the fight, round, and moment.
Loading evidence…
Prep for camp: Kamaru Usman
Recommendations a coach can act on tomorrow — opponent tendencies, drills, and the sparring styles to stack against this fight.
- Utilizes a high-level wrestling pedigree to neutralize opponents against the fence
- Employs a piston-like power jab to disrupt rhythm and set up heavy right hands
- Switches stances to create favorable angles and confuse defensive reactions
- Drill reactive sprawls — bait the shot off your right hand
- Pad work on cutting off their right-side exits
- Match their pace early, then turn the screws late
- Win exchanges with volume, not single shots — they walk through power
- Posture and frame drills off bottom — never give up the back
- Southpaw pressure partner
- Chain-wrestling partner
- High-output striker with heavy leg kicks
- Black-belt grappler comfortable on bottom
Timestamped breakdowns
Curated moments from Usman's tape — each clip annotated with the technique on display.
How this fighter is changing
Computed only from individual fight results on file — earlier half of the recorded fights compared with the most recent half.
33% in the last 3 fights vs 50% before.
Share of fights ended inside the distance across 5 results on file.
How often recent fights reach the judges.
Similar Fighters
Stylistic neighbors based on sub-score vector, archetype, and weight class.
Loading similarities…
See it on film
Every read above should be verifiable. Jump straight to the footage on the platforms that host it legally — official channels first, archive sites second.
Coaches: official clip embeds per fighter are coming next — for now, deep links open searches pre-filtered to Kamaru Usman.
Status / Injuries
Historically suffers from chronic knee issues, but currently cleared to compete.
Checked 6/21/2026
Recent Form
- W2025-06-14vs Joaquin BuckleyU Dec · R5 · UFC Fight Night: Usman vs. Buckley
- L2023-10-21vs Khamzat ChimaevM Dec · R3 · UFC 294: Makhachev vs. Volkanovski 2
- L2023-03-18vs Leon EdwardsM Dec · R5 · UFC 286: Edwards vs. Usman 3
- L2022-08-20vs Leon EdwardsKO/TKO · R5 · UFC 278: Usman vs. Edwards 2
- W2021-11-06vs Colby CovingtonU Dec · R5 · UFC 268
Availability
Scheduled to face Dricus Du Plessis.
Scouting Summary
Kamaru Usman is a Nigerian-American professional mixed martial artist and former UFC Welterweight Champion. Known as 'The Nigerian Nightmare', he won The Ultimate Fighter 21 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest welterweight fighters in MMA history.
Primary source ↗Tendencies
- Utilizes a high-level wrestling pedigree to neutralize opponents against the fence
- Employs a piston-like power jab to disrupt rhythm and set up heavy right hands
- Switches stances to create favorable angles and confuse defensive reactions
- Maintains a relentless pace with high-pressure clinch work and foot stomps
Signature Moves
- Double leg takedown
- Power jab
- Cripple clinch (cage pinning)
- Overhand right
Weaknesses
- Shows vulnerability to high-level head kicks when exiting exchanges
- Known history of chronic knee issues impacting lateral mobility
- Can be out-volumed by elite strikers if unable to secure the clinch
Biography & Camp
Kamaru Usman is a Nigerian-American professional mixed martial artist and former UFC Welterweight Champion. Known as 'The Nigerian Nightmare', he won The Ultimate Fighter 21 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest welterweight fighters in MMA history.