UFC 286 is just around the corner and fans couldn’t be more excited for the super-stacked card UFC has prepared. In the main event, Leon Edwards wishes to bring yet another upset against ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ Kamaru Usman as they both meet each other for the third time in their careers.
The event is about to take place at The O2 Arena in London, England on Saturday, March 18. The UK will host the first numbered event since UFC 204.
However, fans have found something alarming to talk about. In February, UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill made his way as a guest on ‘The Joe Rogan Experience MMA Show’. The duo seemed to find their way around some really great conversations connected to MMA.
However, the moment that aroused fans’ curiosity is when Rogan broke his silence on the condition of Kamaru’s knees. Jamahal’s reaction was what every fan’s reaction would have been upon hearing what the 55-year-old had to say. He shares –
“And the crazy thing about Kamaru, Kamaru has destroyed knees. His knees are f**ked up, man. He [Kamaru] can’t move good. He’s in constant pain. He fights in pain. Like, His knees are so f**ked up that he walks downstairs backwards. Yeah, that f**ked up and a world champion.”
“He was so f**ked up that he told me that he had to walk on the grass. If he was next to the side walk, the side walk hurt too much, so he walked on the grass.” Joe added further that a major reason behind the drastic difference between the 35-year-old’s upper body and lower body musculature is his destroyed knees.
“His cartilage is f**ked. Everywhere he walks, every step, constant pain,” added Joe.
How will the knee problem affect Kamaru Usman at UFC 286?
If what Joe shared above is anything to go by, it may be concerning for ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ heading into his trilogy bout against ‘Rocky’. Kamaru last met Leon at UFC 278 where the latter head-kicked him in the 5th round, taking the belt to Birmingham. However, it is worth noting that Kamaru was dominating the majority of the fight just up until the perfectly placed kick.
Whether the speculations about his knees are true or not, Usman will be making the walk to the cage. Kamaru seemed to have a wrestling-heavy offense for most of his career in the promotion, partly a reason why his knees are so flawed by now. Usman was the 2010 NCAA Division II national champion and a three–time NCAA Division II All-American.
Leon is coming into this fight to prove a point, that the famous head kick wasn’t a fluke and rather a strategized technique. If the 31-year-old exploits Kamaru’s knees with distant kicks, chances are that he might nullify a good chunk of the latter’s wrestling game. Leon can then ‘trade’ with the former champ without having to worry much about scrambles.
Will Kamaru’s knees bar him from performing at his hundred percent at UFC 286? or will Leon find a way to keep the belt in England? Let us know in the comments down below.
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