LOS ANGELES — Kamaru Usman thought the hard part was done when his long, arduous climb up the welterweight ranks culminated in his dominant victory over Tyron Woodley to claim the welterweight championship earlier this year at UFC 235. Turns out that was where the real work started. First, double hernia surgery kept Usman on the shelf. Then, a much-anticipated bout with former interim champ Colby Covington took much longer to make than expected, as the bout fell through for UFC 244 before being rescheduled for UFC 245. It’s been an eye-opening experience for the new king. “I just wanted to fight to get to a title, and I thought once I got to the title, everything else would be easier after that,” Usman told MMA Junkie at Tuesday’s Dominance MMA media day.
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Kamaru Usman has ‘much more than just a fight’ with Colby Covington at UFC 245 – MMA Junkie