"I had to make friends with the feeling" – Kamaru Usman explains why setbacks motivate him to come back stronger

Kamaru Usman may no longer be the reigning welterweight king, but the Nigerian-American knows how to keep himself moving forward.

Usman won the welterweight belt against Tyron Woodley in 2019 and went on to defend it successfully five times. However, the 'Nigerian Nightmare' lost his crown to Leon Edwards in August earlier this year at UFC 278 in a shocking fifth-round knockout. This also marked Usman's first loss in the UFC.

In a recent interview with Megan Olivi, Kamaru Usman was asked about his quote about being friends with the hardships he faces in life and if that had always been his outlook towards adversity. The former welterweight champion replied:

"No, it has not always been that way. I had to make friends with the feeling and once you do, it’s no longer scary. Without hardships, how do you know if something's good if there's no bad... Victory is so much sweeter when there's that adversity."

Usman further continued:

"So in order for you to get all the fortunes that come with being victorious, you have to be brave enough to go through the hardships. So, one thousand percent, I'm a believer that fortune favors the brave."

Watch the video below:

Kamaru Usman is expected to face Leon Edwards for their trilogy fight sometime next year, speculatively at the upcoming UFC card in London in March.

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Kamaru Usman looks forward to fighting Leon Edwards early next year

It is highly rumored that Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman will likely face each other for their trilogy bout within the first quarter of 2023.

While the UFC has not released any official confirmation of the same, there is an upcoming opportunity at UFC 286 to make the matchup a reality. The fight card has been arranged to take place in London on March 18.

In an October interview with TMZ Sports, Kamaru Usman expressed his desire to fight Edwards in his foe's own backyard, London, and reclaim his welterweight crown. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' was asked when fans can expect to see the rematch, and Usman replied:

"Yeah I go grab [the belt] back probably at the top of next year. Of course like I said that night, I would love to go to England and do this in England. I've got a lot of fans in England, so I think it only makes sense."

Watch the full interview below: