Kamaru Usman on His Brother's Recent Loss
Kamaru Usman openly discussed his brother Mohammed's latest UFC loss, stating that his performance could have been much better.
Consecutive Defeats
Last Saturday, "The Motor" experienced his second straight loss in the Octagon, succumbing to Thomas Petersen in the preliminary rounds of the UFC Fight Night event at the Apex in Las Vegas.
#UFCVegas94 Official Result: Thomas Petersen (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) defeats Mohammed Usman by Unanimous Decision.
Results, Interviews & More: https://t.co/YQwm1yUQWv
— UFC News (@UFCNews) July 20, 2024
The Encounter
The bout commenced with both fighters carefully measuring their distance. Halfway through the opening round, Petersen landed a decisive left hand, advanced with determination, delivered a knee strike, and concluded the round with a front headlock and additional strikes.
Round Two
Usman started the second round with jabs but was quickly met with a powerful counter left hand from his opponent, who then secured a takedown. Although Usman managed to stand up using a technical maneuver, he appeared visibly exhausted.
Final Round
In the third and final round, "The Train" delivered another substantial strike and consistently countered Usman’s solitary shots. With a minute remaining, Petersen dominated the match, concluding with a significant takedown and ground-and-pound. Petersen triumphed over Usman by unanimous decision, with all judges scoring the bout 30-27.
Reaction and Future Prospects
Mohammed’s older brother seemed dispirited by the defeat, yet "The Nigerian Nightmare" sees a chance for growth and a potential for a strong comeback.
Kamaru's Insight on Mohammed’s Strategy Error
In a recent episode of the Pound 4 Pound podcast with Henry Cejudo, Usman discussed his younger brother’s defeat to Petersen. "The Nigerian Nightmare" criticized Mohammed’s performance, noting that he strayed from his game plan and made several strategic mistakes, which ultimately led to his loss.
“You know, disappointing loss for him,” Usman said. “But I think this was one of those crossroads fights that lets you know, is this what you want to do or is this not what you want to do? I think he’s right now, sitting at home, reflecting on all the work that he put in. Did you go out there and fight to your abilities? You did not. You didn’t go out there, you didn’t execute the game plan, you didn’t execute what you’re capable of doing.”
The previous UFC welterweight champion mentioned that “The Motor” needs to reassess his errors and address them to better himself for a more robust comeback.
“I know that’s something that’s very, very tough for him to deal with, but he’s sitting in it. He has to deal with it, he has to understand it, and it’s something that’s potentially going to make him much, much stronger. Like I say, it’s tough to enjoy the great times and winning when you don’t know what losing feels like. So, I think he’s feeling it right now, and I think he’s going to go back, reassess, recompose himself, and go back to it.”
The younger Usman holds a current Octagon record of 3-2, marking his impressive UFC debut with a second-round knockout against Zac Pauga in the finale of The Ultimate Fighter 30 in August 2022. Though Mohammed demonstrates potential in his fighting career, he has not yet matched the illustrious achievements of his brother.