"I went through that pain alone" - Kamaru Usman harks back to childhood difficulties as he explains the source of his confidence

Kamaru Usman is one of the most successful welterweight champions in UFC history, having defeated nearly every top contender in his division multiple times. Since joining the promotion, Usman has remained undefeated. The fighter is also ranked No.1 in the UFC's pound-for-pound rankings.

Holding such high honors necessitates the champion being self-assured and less distracted by the various conversations going on around him. When asked how he maintains his confidence and ability to deal with distractions, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' told Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole:

"There's a lot of distractions... a lot of things that happen that does of course eventually, that does plague me a little bit. That does get in my mind... You know, it bothers me a little bit but I got, you know, this is life... you continue to grow and grow and grow."

Usman then went on to share the difficulties he faced as a young teen:

"And for me, I think one of the biggest things that keeps me who I am is that no one was with me when I was in high school, when I was 14 years old and I had to make weight and I would put trash bags on and just go run... You know, no one was with me then... you know, I went through each and every one of those [processes]. I know that in my head I went through that pain alone."

Check out Kamaru Usman's interview with Kevin Iole below:

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Kamaru Usman gives his take on his upcoming Leon Edwards bout

Usman is set to defend his title for the sixth consecutive time against Leon Edwards at UFC 278. The event is set to take place on August 20 at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.

In a recent interview with ESPN MMA, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' recalled his first outing with 'Rocky'. He claimed to have some unfinished business to take care of against the Brit in their rematch:

"And what he said, it stuck with me. I replay the whole first fight, replay his attitude, his mood, his demeanor... He gave me a little shove in that first fight, and I'm still not over it. You know, when we weighed in at our staredown, he gave me a little shove. I'm still not over that, and I don't feel like I got enough in that first fight."

Check out Kamaru Usman's full interview with ESPN MMA below:

If Usman can successfully defend his title against Edwards in their upcoming bout, he will be one step closer to breaking MMA legend Georges St-Pierre's record of nine title defenses in the division.