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Kamaru Usman was present at UFC 260 as a cornerman, supporting Francis Ngannou as the latter realized his dream of becoming the UFC heavyweight champion of the world. Yet Francis Ngannou was not the only friend Kamaru Usman was supporting that night.
The card for UFC 260 also featured a welterweight bout between former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley and Vicente Luque. The co-main event was extremely crucial for Brazilian Vicente Luque as a win for the former champion would boost his case for title contention. Vicente Luque capitalized on the opportunity with sheer brilliance.
'The Chosen One' Tyron Woodley came out on the offensive with the patented explosiveness that we saw missing in his last few outings. He caught Luque with an impressive shot, rocking him.
Vicente Luque, however, kept his wits about him and countered with a huge right hand, knocking Woodley down. Vicente Luque went on to finish Tyron Woodley by forcing him to tap out to his brabo choke.
Vicente Luque has now cemented himself as an opponent to watch out for in the top tier of the 170 lbs division. 'The Silent Assassin' belongs to the Sanford MMA team, a team that Kamaru Usman was a part of himself.
Both former teammates met after UFC 260. Kamaru Usman congratulated Vicente Luque on his incredible victory. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' said:
"No. 7?..... I'm going to have to fight a friend again?"
Against which other friend has Kamaru Usman defended his title?
Kamaru Usmaan's most recent title defense was against another former Sanfor MMA teammate, Gilbert Burns.
The two were initially scheduled to fight at UFC 251 in July, 2020. Unfortunately, mere days before the fight, Gilbert Burns tested positive for COVID-19 along with his teammates who were accompanying him for the fight. 'Gamebred' Jorge Masvidal stepped in for 'Durinho' to face Kamaru Usman for the title. Usman won the fight via unanimous decision.
The bout between Burns and Usman finally took place at UFC 258 in February, 2021. Gilbert Burns had a dynamic start, trading punches with a calm and calculative Kamaru Usman. As the rounds passed, Kamaru Usman began landing more and more jabs. Gilbert Burns found himself on his back more than once due to missteps and slips.
Kamaru Usman's devastating jabs finally dropped Gilbert Burns in the pending minute of round three. He defended his title by beating Gilbert Burns via TKO.
