5 reasons why Kamaru Usman is close to surpassing GSP

#2. Kamaru Usman has no asterisk

Despite Colby Covington's claims that he won both fights against his Nigerian rival, most MMA media members, analysts and even fans agree that Kamaru Usman did enough to defeat 'Chaos' in both their encounters. The first affair resulted in Usman breaking Covington's jaw and dropping him twice, with the second knockdown culminating in a TKO.

Their rematch followed a similar format, with Usman dropping Covington multiple times while recording an even more dominant first half of the bout than their previous outing. Both fights are the most hotly contested of Usman's careers, yet they remain definitive wins for the Nigerian. St-Pierre, on the other hand, did not convincingly beat Johny Hendricks in their UFC 167 matchup.

Many have cast doubt over the legitimacy of St-Pierre's win over Hendricks, least of all due to the Canadian's immediate decision to vacate the belt and embark on a sabatical, never rematching Hendricks. The same cannot be said for Kamaru Usman.

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#1. Kamaru Usman is aiming higher

This year, Kamaru Usman stunned the MMA world by revealing his very real intention to move up in weight in pursuit of a second championship belt. Usman, however, made no mention of capturing UFC middleweight gold. Instead, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' has opted to bypass the 185 lbs division altogether and take aim at the light heavyweight division, where the reigning champion is a monstrously powerful striker in his physical prime.

The goal is admirable and regarded by many as impossible. Georges St-Pierre never possessed Usman's daring, having spent a large portion of his career dismissing potential matchups with the then reigning middleweight champion Anderson Silva due to the size difference between them, before returning to claim middleweight gold against a one-eyed, past-his-prime Michael Bisping.

Whether Usman succeeds with his aspirations to capture a light heavyweight title remains to be seen. However, from his statements alone, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' is daring to be great in a way that 'GSP' never had.