Watch: When Kamaru Usman fought the wrecking machine that was Hayder Hassan

Kamaru Usman has never been one to shy away from dangerous opponents - a trait that he has shown right throughout his career.

'The Nigerian Nightmare' first appeared in UFC programming on The Ultimate Fighter: American Top Team vs. Blackzilians. Kamaru Usman represented his former gym Blackzilians in the 21st season of the tournament, going through future Titan FC champion Michael Graves in the first fight, followed by former WSOF champion Steve Carl in the semifinals.

Kamaru Usman faced the 'Hulk' Hayder Hassan in the TUF 21 finals and showed from the get-go that he was a force to be reckoned with in the welterweight division. Despite his wrestling background, Hayder Hassan was no match for Kamaru Usman when it came to action on the mat.

Avoiding Hassan's power punching early on, Usman stole the initiative with every clinch they engaged in. After multiple takedowns in Round 1, the second round finally saw Kamaru Usman successfully turn a takedown into full mount, securing an arm-triangle choke hold to win the fight via submission.

Watch the full fight below:

Kamaru Usman went on to secure a 11-fight win streak in UFC and become the welterweight champion in little less than four years after he fought Haydar Hassan. Next, he is set to defend his title a third time against top welterweight contender Gilbert Burns at UFC 258 coming Saturday night.

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Kamaru Usman: I'm the king of the hill

Kamaru Usman has an impressive resume to show for his UFC career, with names like Leon Edwards, Demian Maia, Rafael Dos Anjos, Tyron Woodley, and Jorge Masvidal on the list of people he has run through.

In next opponent Gilbert Burns, he faces a former teammate with whom he has sparred for hours. However, it does not make a difference to him, as he sees "no face" when he steps inside the ring.

Kamaru Usman said in a recent interview with MMA Fighting:

"It’s a little different in a sense but at the same time, I see no face. When we get in there, they’re all the same."

When it comes to defending his gold, Kamaru Usman pulls no punches in making it clear why he is the champion of the division.

"I’m the king of the hill. I’m sitting up at the top. He’s the one who picked the fight. These are the guys who say ‘we want what he has.’ So when you want what I have, I have to defend that. I have to go in there and show them why I’m sitting at the top."