“I feel bliss right now” - Trevor Wittman reacts to Kamaru Usman sweating it out in ‘grueling training session’ for UFC 294 showdown

Kamaru Usman is gearing up for his middleweight debut against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294, scheduled for Saturday, October 21, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Chimaev was initially set to face Paulo Costa, but the excitement surrounding this bout turned into a cloud of doubt when 'Borrachinha' disclosed that he had undergone surgery for a bursitis infection in his right elbow. That's when 'The Nigerian Nightmare' stepped in to replace the Brazilian with just 10 days' notice.

Recently, Kamaru Usman's head coach Trevor Wittman, provided insights into the training and preparations his pupil has undergone for this impromptu fight. During the UFC 294 Embedded: Vlog Series - Episode 3, Wittman stated:

"Today is a grueling training session, it's a heavy workout. You know, we didn't have a full training camp for this. This is just hard for our opponent. Didn't see a workout like today, I'm happy he's in shape. I feel bliss right now, knowing that he's in shape and now it's time to just go out there and show him what the upper levels are about. Kamaru is a unique breed."

Check out Wittman's comments below (from 5:00):

Kamaru Usman's absence from competition dates back to March 2023, when he faced consecutive defeats at the hands of reigning welterweight champion Leon Edwards. In their first encounter at UFC 278 in August 2022, 'Rocky' clinched a head-kick knockout win over Usman, and he managed to replicate this success in their rematch at UFC 286 in March.

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Kamaru Usman and Justin Gaethje set the record straight on UFC 294 workout scare

During the UFC 294 open workouts on Wednesday, former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman engaged in some training with his longtime partner and current 'BMF' titleholder Justin Gaethje.

While practicing, there was a moment when Gaethje can be heard asking, "You all right?" as they hit the mat after a takedown. What Usman's response was and the extent of any potential injury remained unclear.

Following the incident, they decided to conclude the grappling part of the workout, and 'The Nigerian Nightmare' continued with striking exercises. Many fans and media members had been speculating that Usman might have mentioned that "something popped."

However, 'The Highlight' subsequently addressed the situation on X (formerly Twitter) and minimized the interpretation of what the video seemed to depict:

"He said I’m good or something like that. I thought he hit his head on the mat. I asked him if he hit his head in this clip when we got up and he said no 👊"

Check out Gaethje's post below:

Kamaru Usman also came out and publicly criticized Bloody Elbow for disseminating inaccurate information:

"This is why no one reads this sh*tty a** blog. At what point while I was lightly drilling did you hear me say that to Justin. Stop with the clickbait you idiots 🙄🙄"

Check out Usman's post below: