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 graduating, Usman pursued mixed martial arts, moving through 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 to The Ultimate Fighter: American Top Team vs Blackzilians Finale.
Commander UFC 278: Usman vs. Edwards 2
The win marked the first of Usman’s 15 straight wins inside the Octagon. Using his career-long struggle to overpower his opponents, Usman rose through the ranks to the top of the welterweight division and received his first shot at UFC gold at UFC 235 in March 2019 against Tyron. Woodley.