Francis Okupa, Special to ESPN 7y

'I control what takes place in the cage' - Kamaru Usman

MMA

When the UFC Fight Night main card gets underway in Pittsburgh on Saturday night, MMA fans will get the opportunity to see two Nigerian-American fighters step inside the Octagon.

Leading the card will be newly-signed UFC heavyweight fighter Azunna 'Zulu' Anyanwu, who is stepping in at short notice to fight Justin 'El Blanco' Ledet (8-0). Ukrainian Dmitriy Sosnovskiy was Ledet's original opponent, but had to withdraw due to injury earlier this week.

Following on from Anyanwu versus Ledet will be welterweight fighter Kamaru 'The Nigerian Nightmare' Usman, as he makes his return to the Octagon. Usman's last fight was an unanimous decision win over Sean Strickland at UFC 210 in April. 

Training out of Combat Club in Palm Beach, Florida, Usman will bring his 10-1 record into the Octagon at PPG Paints Arena when he takes on Sergio 'The Panther' Moraes of Brazil.

Usman spoke to KweséESPN from his training camp about his preparations for Moraes, saying: "My training camp is always pretty good. There's ups and downs, bumps and bruises, rough moments, but I always try to be as professional as possible.

"I always make sure the things that I can control, I control them to the best of my abilities, because the one thing that I can't control is what my opponent is going to do."

Currently the UFC's 13th-ranked welterweight, Usman won't be taking his opponent lightly, noting the 12-3-1 record the 35-year-old Moraes holds: "My opponent is good, very good. He's a Jiu Jitsu specialist. He's a dangerous guy on the ground and he's getting better and better on his feet, but there's a difference: I'm hungry for the top. I know I will be champion of this division one day." 

As for the style of the fight, taking into consideration Usman's wrestling prowess and Moraes' Jiu Jitsu skill, Usman acknowledged the importance of fighting styles: "I agree styles make fights. [But] at the end of the day it doesn't matter what style is put in front of me. I'm a hybrid now. I can do it all.

"This is where I am different. A lot of guys are specialists on something but you can't say that with me. I can do it all. My biggest attribute is I control what takes place in there."

Usman's coaches have seen an evolution in his skill-set as he prepares for his fifth UFC fight (12th MMA fight overall). Striking coach Henri Hooft told KweséESPN: "Usman's evolving every time, every fight. He's getting better and better.

"He went from being a straight up wrestler to a guy who has power in his hands, has wrestling, has BJJ. He grew everywhere, it's amazing to see. He's strong, very hungry, he's very professional too. He knows what he's doing. You don't need to babysit him like some other fighters.

"Again, every fight he's looking better and better so I'm really, really looking forward to this fight. I'm excited to see him make the next step again. I think it's very soon that this man is going to fight for a title and he will bring the first title to his country for sure."

A victory on Saturday would give credence to the belief that Usman is ready for big-name opponents and a top 10 fight. But the man himself has stopped worrying about the rankings of his opponents, having grown tired of asking for major fights.

"It's a maturity thing; I've learned how to get over that. I don't even put my focus on that anymore. I've asked for them [big-name fights] and asked for them and haven't gotten them," Usman reflected.

"As long as I go out there do my job and get paid, that's where my focus is. I'm gonna always do what I do. I'm gonna go out there and I'm gonna dominate from start to finish. And if they decide, 'This is a guy we can get behind because he's got the continent of Africa behind him, let's get behind him,' then so be it.

"But if they don't, guess what? I'm gonna continue to beat everybody up until they do."

On the other end of the experience spectrum, Anyanwu will be making his UFC debut on Saturday, and at age 36, 'Zulu' is hoping to prove the adage that 'age ain't nothing but a number'.

Anyanwu won his lone fight at Dana White's Contender Series tournament with an impressive knockout finish back in July, but wasn't offered a UFC contract after his appearance. After patiently waiting for his opportunity, the Philadelphia-born fighter signed his UFC contract less than a week ago, after being called up at short notice to step in for the injured Sosnovskiy.

Anyanwu, whose parents are Nigerian, described his experience this past week to KweséESPN: "This guy gets hurt, [so I have] six days' notice. Usually I just train when I have a fight, even though I preach staying ready, but I was just down in the dumps from the show [and not getting a contract].

"So I got the call about being ready to go next week and I said I'll take the opportunity at 36 because this ain't coming again. I'm in my prime now. So [preparation is] just getting in shape and recovering as much as possible. Opening up my lungs, getting ready for the fight."

He added: "Mentally I'm strong, I'm a strong dude. I've seen ups and downs. It's just gonna be another fight with more computers and cameras around. Let's just get to it and put on a show."

Any advice for fringe fighters waiting for the call? "If you're on that brink, stay ready because you'll never know when you're going to get the opportunity."

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