Does Kamaru Usman have bad knees? Find out about the UFC star's long-running struggle with injuries

Between March 2019, when Kamaru Usman captured the welterweight championship from Tyron Woodley, and November 2021, when he made his fifth title defense against Colby Covington at UFC 268, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' looked unstoppable. He held the No.1 position in the pound-for-pound rankings until Leon Edwards knocked him out with a spectacular head kick at UFC 278.

In the wake of his UFC 235 victory over Tyron Woodley, Usman said he still needed to work through some physical challenges first. He revealed that he broke his foot just before the fight and listed a growing number of injuries that had been slowing him down, including a damaged knee.

UFC color commentator Joe Rogan stated that Usman had told him that his persistent knee discomfort made it difficult for him to walk on concrete. Ahead of his third fight against Leon Edwards at UFC 286, Kamaru Usman was spotted training with a knee brace. However, the former welterweight champion played down the severity of the injury, saying that he has had knee problems ever since his days as a collegiate wrestler.

Kamaru Usman addressed the concerns at the UFC 286 pre-fight media scrum, stating:

"My knee pain has been bad for 10 years, I've had multiple meniscus surgeries and this is just from wrestling. I was so hard on my body wrestling because I just wanted to be the champion, I wanted to get there. I was willing to sacrifice whatever it took to get there, but my knee pain has been bad since I crossed over to MMA. It hasn't stopped me, I'm still whipping dude's a**s."

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When Joe Rogan claimed that Kamaru Usman "fights in pain" while talking about the Nigerian's bad knees

The MMA community at large is well aware of Kamaru Usman's bad knees which have been a problem for him throughout his professional career.

Joe Rogan did not travel to the UK for Usman's third fight against Leon Edwards at UFC 286. 'Rocky' successfully defended his welterweight throne for the first time at the recently concluded pay-per-view event after capturing it from 'The Nigerian Nightmare' at UFC 278.

On episode #136 of The Joe Rogan Experience alongside UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill, the UFC color commentator shed light on the difficulties that Kamaru Usman faces competing with bad knees:

"Kamaru has destroyed knees. His knees are f**ked up. It's like he's in constant pain. He fights in pain. His knees are so f**ked up that he walks down the stairs backwards. If you look at the difference between the musculatre in his legs and the musculature in his upper body, it's a drastic difference."

Catch Rogan's comments below: