August 07, (THEWILL) – By winning “The Ultimate Fighter” seven years ago, Nigerian mixed martial artist Kamaru Usman established himself in the sport. His younger sibling, Mohammed, has now followed suit.
Mohammed, who is two years younger than the current UFC welterweight champion, knocked out Zac Pauga to win “The Ultimate Fighter 30” (TUF) heavyweight division on Saturday, in a fight that took place on the main card of UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas and which ended at the 0:36-second mark of the second round mark.
The victory means that Kamaru and Mohammed become the first ever set of brothers to win “The Ultimate Fighter” in the competition’s 17-year history.
Usman, the underdog in the betting versus Pauga, moved to 8-2 with the highlight-reel left-hook knockout. He is now formally listed as a heavyweight in the UFC having been awarded a six-figure UFC contract. It is remarkable progress for the 33-year-old, who made his career-debut in 2017.
During the TUF reality series’ filming, he won exhibition fights against Eduardo Perez and Mitchell Sipe by judge decisions and he has a 5-1 record in his last six amateur fights. On Saturday, his older brother Kamaru was in his corner and, following his victory, joined him in the cage.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
