Mohammed Usman snapped his two-fight losing streak with a unanimous decision victory over Hamdy Abdelwahab at UFC Fight Night: Hill vs. Rountree Jr., held at the Baku Crystal Hall in Azerbaijan on Saturday, Bold Sports reports.
Much like his brother Kamaru Usman, who recently ended his own three-fight skid with a win over Joaquin Buckley, Mohammed entered the bout under pressure, having suffered back-to-back losses in the UFC’s heavyweight division. Another loss could have put his future with the promotion in jeopardy.
Usman had previously lost both of his 2024 bouts—falling to Mick Parkin in March and Thomas Petersen in July, both by unanimous decision. At 36, he came into this fight determined to reverse course, and he delivered, overcoming a shaky first round to hand Abdelwahab his first career UFC loss.
Statistically, Usman was the more effective striker, landing 86 significant strikes compared to Abdelwahab’s 55. While he failed to complete a takedown despite four attempts, Abdelwahab also came up short on his sole takedown try.
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The win is a vital one for Usman, possibly securing his spot in the UFC after two difficult years without a victory.
Reacting to the win, an emotional Usman said he just had to believe in himself even when things didn’t go his way at the start of the fight.
“You’ve got to have faith over fear, it gets scary there, but you just have to go and believe in yourself. I made it this far, and I just kept believing in myself. I am just so blessed and grateful. I know I belong here, and I will keep showing the world who I am,” Usman said after the win.
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