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Joe Rogan has praised the elite mentality of welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. The UFC commentator shared that Usman's knees are injured to the point where he can no longer run. He has to try to walk on grass instead of concrete because the pain is unbearable.
Rogan recently sat down with Mike Tyson and Sebastian Joseph-Day on the Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson podcast. He believes the way Kamaru Usman deals with his injuries is what sets him apart from the division. To continue training, to fight and still be a dominant UFC champion shows a bulletproof mentality and elite mindset that others can't match:
"He's that guy that's just a bulletproof-mindset champion. That's what sets him apart from everybody. You know Usman's knees are f****d. Both his knees are f****d. He can't run. He said he has to sometimes walk on the grass instead of concrete because it hurts his knees so much."
Usman successfully defended his belt three times in 2021 and his performances in the cage have shown no signs of a physical disadvantage. Joe Rogan would later explain that the UFC's No.1 pound-for-pound fighter will only have surgery when his career is over, likely in the next four years.
'The Nigerian Nightmare' detailed the impact of his injuries in 2019 on an episode of Food Truck Diaries. He explained that due to the severity of the damage to his knees, his cardio routine is different. There is no running involved, and so he must work twice as hard in the pool or rowing machine to maintain his conditioning. This is unlike most fighters who would use road work (running).
Watch Kamaru Usman on Food Truck Diaries here:
Rogan continued with his praise for the Nigerian-born fighter:
"He fights with those f****d knees and you would never know. You'd never know. He's committed to when he's done, he'll get his knees replaced when he's done fighting."
Watch the full episode of Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson here:
Will Kamaru Usman fight Khamzat Chimaev?
After beating the biggest names in the division, it looks like Kamaru Usman will have to bide his time and wait for another challenger. The closest person to him in the rankings is Colby Covington, whom Usman has already bested twice. The welterweight champion is seemingly without a credible threat at the moment.
That was until the meteoric rise of one Khamzat Chimaev. 'Borz' has made an astounding impact since his debut in 2020. The Chechen-born Swede now finds himself the new No.3-ranked fighter in the division after his latest performance against Gilbert Burns. The contest was awarded the Fight of the Night.
It looks as though 'Borz' will have to face Colby Covington next if he is to get a fight against Kamaru Usman and a chance at the title. 'Chaos' will be hoping to book himself a third shot with 'The Nigerian Nightmare'. After beating Jorge Masvidal, another win against a mighty challenge in Chimaev could do just that.
