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The 28th season of the Ultimate Fighter is now in the books and as is tradition, the series finale was headlined by a marquee fight between top stars, this time it was Welterweight stars, Rafael dos Anjos and Kamaru Usman.
Former Lightweight Champion, dos Anjos was looking to bounce back from a loss in his last fight versus Colby Covington at UFC 225 in June, whilst Usman, the winner of The Ultimate Fighter season 21 was looking to win his 13th bout in a row.
It was Usman who turned back the challenge of the veteran dos Anjos. He did so in impressive fashion.
Usman thoroughly dominated dos Anjos, punishing the Brazilian at every opportunity throughout their five-round battle. By the time the fight ended, there was no question as to whom the judges would declare the winner.
Usman had answers for everything and by the final round, he was unloading strike after strike on dos Anjos who could do little else other than taking the blows until the buzzer sounded. An array of one-sided judge's scorecards told the story of the fight; 50-43, 49-45, 48-47.
Usman's latest performance puts him in line for a future shot at Tyron Woodley's welterweight crown.
So, what next for Kamaru Usman?
It's clear the Welterweight has a date with the Welterweight Champion, Tyron Woodley in his near future.
With this win, Usman has leapfrogged dos Anjos in the rankings and now sits only behind Darren Till, who was defeated by Woodley at UFC 228 in September and is unlikely to be in line for another shot.
Interim Champion, Colby Covington has a date with Woodley first, no doubt, but following that encounter, Usman now has to be next in line.
The 31-year-old now has a 14-1 record in MMA and a 9-0 record in UFC. Usman's time is now. Do not bet against the Nigerian native becoming the next Welterweight Champion.
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