Nigerian Players Dominating the UFC

Nigerians have made their mark on the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) world, leaving spectators and competitors in awe of their ability to dominate this combat sport. While many countries have produced UFC champions, few have produced as many as Nigeria in such a short amount of time. 

The success of these Nigerian UFC fighters has boosted the popularity of mixed martial arts in Africa in the same way that the success of Ireland’s Conor McGregor raised the sport’s profile in Europe. Along with all of this success, many fans have started betting on UFC matches, hoping their favorite players will win. Checking the latest UFC betting odds is a favorite pastime of many fans who want to get an idea of where various fighters stand. This article looks at some of the best Nigerian players in the UFC. 

Israel Adesanya

Although Adesanya was born in Lagos, Nigeria, the UFC fighter now calls New Zealand home. The MMA fighter is the most high-profile Nigerian on the UFC circuit, with millions of fans cheering him on every time he enters the ring. The Muay Thai film Ong-Bak inspired Adesanya to take up kickboxing when he was 18. After going undefeated on the local kickboxing circuit in New Zealand, he left to fight in China. When he was 21, he returned to New Zealand and began practicing MMA. Since going pro, Adesanya has accumulated an impressive 22-1-0 MMA record, including 15 knockout wins and seven wins by decision. He’s the current UFC Middleweight Champion and is #3 in the UFC men’s pound for pound rankings.

Kamaru Usman

Kamaru Usman is known to fans and opponents as the Nigerian Nightmare. He’s the top-ranked fighter and the face of the UFC. Usman was born in Auchi, Nigeria, and moved to the United States when he was eight years old. He attended high school in Arlington, Texas, where he played football until he suffered an injury. After the football injury, Usman began wrestling. He was so good that he finished high school with a 53-3 record.

After high school, he continued his wrestling career at William Penn University in Iowa before transferring to the University of Nebraska. He won the NCAA Division II title in 2010, and former NFL player Christian Okoye gave Usman his nickname, the Nigerian Nightmare, after seeing him perform. After college, Usman pursued a UFC career under the endorsement of retired MMA fighter Rashad Evans.

After going undefeated, Usman became a fan favorite while fighting in the Ultimate Fighter competition. As his profile climbed, Usman won a match against Hayde Hassan, earning a six-figure UFC contract. From there, Usman was virtually unstoppable, using his instincts and powerful hits to dominate the sport. When he won the Welterweight Championship in 2019, he became the first African-born UFC champion. Usman continues to dominate the UFC, and we can expect many more years of top-notch fighting from this champion. 

Francis Ngannou

Unlike the first two fighters on our list who hail from Nigeria, Ngannou was born in the Cameroonian hamlet of Batié. Ngannou has an incredible rags to riches story, going from being homeless to one of the world’s best MMA fighters. He’s ranked #4 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings and is known for throwing the hardest punches in the world. After his parents’ divorce when he was six years old, Ngannou attended five different schools and was often left to take care of himself.

He eventually raised enough money to move to Paris, where he was homeless and slept on the streets. He always dreamed of becoming a boxing champion and often watched Mike Tyson’s matches. While in Paris, Ngannou worked odd jobs to survive. After several months in Paris, he’d earned enough money to rent a room and send money back to Cameroon. 

One day he ended up at a Fernand Lopez’s MMA gym in Paris. Lopez was impressed by Ngannou’s skill and took him under his wing. Today, the world-famous heavyweight fighter shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.