On Saturday, July 30, Usman was recognized for his collegiate wrestling accomplishments, receiving the honor of being inducted into the Jim Koch Division II Hall of Fame.
After graduation, Usman pursued mixed martial arts, moving around different promotions before receiving a life changing opportunity to compete on The Ultimate Fighter. Defeating Michael Graves and Steve Carl on the show, Usman successfully won the competition by submitting Hayder Hassan at The Ultimate Fighter: American Top Team vs. Blackzilians Finale.
Order UFC 278: Usman vs Edwards 2
That win marked Usman’s first of 15 consecutive wins inside the Octagon. Utilizing his wrestling throughout his career to dominate his opponents, Usman climbed his way to the top of the welterweight division and was given his first shot at UFC gold at UFC 235 in March of 2019 against Tyron Woodley.
