Kamaru Usman Plans On Putting ‘Immigrant’ Style Beatdown On ‘Entitled’ Colby Covington
Recently crowned welterweight champion Kamaru Usman plans on putting an ‘immigrant’ style beatdown on Colby Covington.
As a new UFC champion, you have to make your rounds. There’s the increased amount of media obligations as well as the increased fan appearances. But in mixed martial arts, you haven’t mad it until you have sat opposite Joe Rogan on his podcast.
And that’s exactly what the new welterweight champion did on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast on Monday (March 18, 2019). As a potential fight between he and Covington looms, Usman, who comes from a family of immigrants, looks forward to putting a life-changing beatdown on the outspoken title challenger.
“Part of what this next fight symbolizes to me is the attitude that a lot of people have towards immigrants,” Usman told Rogan (h/t MMAJunkie). “A lot of people forget that Americans are immigrants. People are forgetting that, to where people have this attitude, ‘We’re Americans, go back to your country. Go back. This is a free country.’ I always heard that growing up. I always heard that.
“The more I research it’s like, ‘What? What are you talking about’ This whole attitude? When you walk into a nail shop to get your hands and feet and nails done – who are the majority of the people who run those nail shops? Asians. I’m not saying all of them in the country, but a majority of them are Asians. But there’s a whole bunch of people who look down on them like, ‘I’m not washing your feet. I’m not going to do your nails.’ Those people do that because they take pride in that, it helps them. They do that. That’s not a job people want to do it.
“When you go to hotels, who are the maids who work at most of those hotels? A lot of them are immigrants. We take pride in that because we’re in a better place and want to provide for our families. Those are jobs a lot of people, the so-called ‘Americans,’ the whole Colby Covington persona are like, ‘I’m above that.’
“That’s the persona.”
Usman believes that Americans claim immigrants are taking their jobs when they are jobs they don’t even want to do. Because of that attitude, Usman wants to bring the energy of every immigrant down on Covington in the fight:
“But at the same time, people want to cry, ‘They’re taking our jobs, let’s build a wall, let’s keep them out, they’re taking our jobs.’ No, they’re providing, they’re helping this country get to its height. The fact you can come here and have someone do your nails, have someone clean your house, someone
“It saddens me and it upsets me. Its part of when this fight happens, this fight represents for me, because I feel like this is the attitude this young man has. He’s entitled to, ‘I should be UFC champ, you’re a soy boy, you can’t handle me, boy.’ That’s his attitude, ‘You can’t do this boy.’ First of all, who’s your boy? I’m a grown ass man. Don’t (expletive) talk to me like that. That’s the attitude he has.
“He’s entitled to this: ‘I should be the champion, I’m American.’ Bro, we’re all American here. This fight is greater than just a guy who is talking (expletive). This fight means a lot to me. So when I get the chance to put my hands on this guy, just know that it’s the wrath of every immigrant in this country that I’m going to put on him.”
The mild-mannered Usman is yet to find himself in a situation where he personally dislikes an opponent. However, that all may change if “The Nigerian Nightmare” does defend his title against Covington. And if that happens, the champ doesn’t like the challenger’s chances.
“I haven’t been in a fight yet where it was malicious, where I was maliciously trying to hurt someone,” Usman said. “I haven’t been in that fight. My mind is strong. I don’t compete, ‘Oh, I want to kill this guy.’ Then you swing five punches and miss and you’re dead tired. I don’t compete like that. This one, I’m still going to compete like myself, but there’s a little extra, ‘Oomph’ behind those elbows now. I’m going to filet your face. This win is going to be one I really enjoy.”
As for when Usman will make his first title defense, that remains to be seen. He is just days removed from a serious surgery, so a return to the Octagon is not likely any time soon. Besides, now that he is the top dog in the welterweight division he needs to make sure his body is in tip top shape. After all, Usman does turn 32 in May.
“I have to get healthy first,” Usman said. “For a long, long time I’ve been fighting hurt. I’ve been fighting hurt for so long. There’s been training camps where I could barely walk. For the last two years, my daughter has been laughing at me because I walk down the stairs backwards. It relieves pressure on my knees. My daughter laughs at me. There was a time I couldn’t walk.”
