ANAHEIM, Calif. – Kamaru Usman will once again be in the corner Francis Ngannou when he enters the octagon for the UFC 270 main event.
Usman, the reigning UFC welterweight champion, is a good friend of Ngannou (16-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC). He was in the corner of “The Predator” for his title-winning knockout of Stipe Miocic in March, and he’ll once again be in the same spot for Saturday’s heavyweight title unification bout with Ciryl Gane (10-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC).
Although Usman has only been an infrequent observer of Ngannou going into UFC 270, he said he’s seen enough to know where his fellow champion is mentally and physically.
“I’m seeing a stone-cold killer,” Usman told MMA Junkie on Friday. “This is how Francis is every fight. It’s something very, very rare when you have a guy this big. Whenever Francis Ngannou walks into a room, everyone knows Francis Ngannou is in the room. I see him he’s calm and he’s ready to step in there.”
Usman (20-1 MMA, 15-0 UFC), who is currently the No. 2 fighter in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie pound-for-pound rankings, said his primary goal on fight night is to bring “that good energy” to Ngannou.
The fight between Ngannou and Gane serves as the main event of UFC 270, which takes place at Honda Center and airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
Usman stopped short making an official prediction for the fight, and said it will ultimately come down to who executes best on fight night.
“I think both guys are very prepared,” Usman said. “I think both guys are ready to be the champion, so the best man will prevail”
