Having nearly five months between leaving the TUF house and his shot at being the Ultimate Fighter Season 30 winner, Usman has focused a lot of his time on understanding the sport of mixed martial arts and how to adapt to the ebbs and flows of a fight.
“I’ve seen so much growth in my poise, and I pride myself on that,” Usman said. “I feel myself just becoming a complete fighter in my Fight IQ. Certain positions when you’re in a fight, you know when it’s time to turn it up, you know when it’s time to turn it down. Don’t get too over yourself, stay balanced, stay in the middle of my feet, keep my weight even with myself so I can be able to do everything I want to do in the Octagon.”
Order UFC 278: Usman vs Edwards 2
Representing Team Peña, Usman and Pauga enter the Octagon knowing each other better than any of their previous opponents. Living in the same house, as well as sharing the same mats during training, helps each fighter get to know the ins and outs of their skills and personality.
“The show teaches you a lot about what somebody’s character is, and after the show, you’ve kind of seen some of his character,” Usman said. “He’s done a lot of trash talk. That’s not my character. My character is I’m here to compete, I’m here to win, I’m here to be the best. I’m not here to talk about the next man. I’m just here to compete, I’m here to fight and I’m here to win.”
